Category Archives: Uncategorized
Another Tamil man arrested at airport with ‘anti-Sri Lanka’ literature
Second episode of Ananda Vikatan incident (W3lanka, March 21, Colombo) A student of a foreign university who was to board a flight bound Jaffna from Rathmalana airport in Sri Lanka … Continue reading
‘More civilians may have died in Lanka than in Gaza’- sunanda deshapriya
February 24, 2009 Sunanda Deshapriya, a journalist, peace activist and the person behind the free media movement in Sri Lanka, has been in India from January 18. The killing of … Continue reading
Opposition insists state media is bound by its own elections coverage guidelines
Opposition groups say the state media is disregarding official guidelines set for the media to follow during the run-up to the North Western and Central Provincial Council elections. The elections are scheduled to be held on Saturday.
The Commissioner of Elections Dayananda Dissanayake has given specific instructions that the state-run electronic media comply with the guidelines.
And then they came for the media
Sri Lanka is hitting rock bottom in media freedom indices, and that’s not news. Going by the trend here, there is every likelihood the island would make steady progress in the area of curbing media freedom to the exclusion of all else, with the country probably heading the list, from the bottom order.
With the incidents in January causing worldwide concern with a debilitating arson attack on MBC/ MTV stations, the gruesome murder of The Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge and the attack on Rivira Editor, Upali Tennakoon, year 2009 commenced on a grim note.
Govt. misusing state media— JVP
( 8th FebSunday Leader) The JVP last week said that while the government misused the state media that was maintained on public funds for their benefit, the private media that … Continue reading
No real breakthrough in Lasantha investigation
By Nirmala Kannangara ( Sunday Leader 8th Feb) The four police investigating teams probing into the murder of The Sunday Leader Editor-in-Chief Lasantha Wickrematunge have so far failed to make … Continue reading
Thissanayagam case put off for Feb 16
Sandasen Marasinghe9(7th Feb CDN) The prosecution in the journalist Thissan-ayagam case informed Colombo High Court yesterday that it has closed its case. At this stage the Defence Counsel asked the … Continue reading
US pressures Lanka on Anti-Conversion Bill
(7th January DM) The Sri Lankan ambassador to the United States, Jaliya Wickramasuriya, received a letter recently, signed by 15 US Congressmen, requesting that Sri Lanka shelve the proposed legislation … Continue reading
The state of media freedom in Sri Lanka
Sunanda Deshapriya, Sri Lanka is among the most dangerous places in the world for a working journalist. During the last three years media in Sri Lanka has come under unprecedented … Continue reading
Sri Lanka has an ‘Official Secrets Act’: Ministry
( DM 7th January) The Defence Ministry yesterday said that Sri Lanka has an “Official Secrets Act’”which requires all public servants to maintain strict reticence over sensitive information that may … Continue reading
SC grants leave to proceed with FR petition re freedom of expression
By S.S.Selvanayagam (DM 7th January ) The Supreme Court yesterday granted leave to proceed with the petition relating to the alleged infringement of fundamental rights of two JVP activists who … Continue reading
Government party paramilitary men threaten Tamil daily editors in Jaffna
[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 February 2009, 00:06 GMT] Paramilitary men of a Tamil political party that is a member of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government of Sri Lanka … Continue reading
Anonymous organization upbraids dailies in Jaffna peninsula
[TamilNet, Thursday, 05 February 2009, 01:23 GMT] An anonymus organization, calling itself, ’Theasa Makkal Ezhuchchip Pearavai’ (Nation’s People’s Form of Uprisal’), called on the dailies of Jaffna peninsula to uphold … Continue reading
Terrorism is everywhere
By G.T.V. (February 05, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) What dastardly acts of terror? If this is not terrorism at its height what is? The President ordered ‘full probes’ into all … Continue reading
MEDIAFREEDOMINSRILANKA – 2009 report No 01
Freedom of Expression news from Sri Lanka Monthly report No 01; period covered January 2008 1. 01st January – Defense correspondent receives death threats 2. 02nd January … Continue reading
Lasantha – a celebration of dissent and diversity
By: Dilrukshi Handunnetti ( Himal Sothasian) It is unthinkable to me that Lasantha has now become part of Sri Lanka’s gruesome statistics of dead journalists. But that is the cold … Continue reading
Media Freedom In Sri Lanka releases damning report
By Dilrukshi Handunnetti ( Morning Leader) Media Freedom In Sri Lanka has released a damning monthly report on the island’s horrendous record of media freedom violations in January including the … Continue reading
Sri Lanka journalists ‘risk death’ – BBC
By Chris Morris BBC News, Colombo A group of heavily armed men, their faces covered, they smashed windows, broke down doors and tried to blow up the control room at … Continue reading
SRI LANKA: Human rights lawyer’s office burnt down
Asian Human Rights Commission – Press Releases The office of Amitha Ariyaratne, Attorney-at-Law, situated in front of his residence at No. 53, Temple Road, Horapay was burned down yesterday at … Continue reading
How a Newspaper Editor was attacked in broad daylight
By Upali Tennakoon, Editor, Rivira It was just another Friday for me. Like any other Friday, on Friday January 23 too I started my routine by getting up at 4:30 … Continue reading
