Minister admits desire to hire hackers to disable news website; remarks tantamount to “cyber-terrorism,” says FMM
(FMM/IFEX) – The following is an FMM press release: Government Minister admits to cyber-terrorism: Attempts to hack Tamilnews website 21st June 2007, Colombo, Sri Lanka – The Free Media Movement (FMM) unequivocally condemns the outrageous statement by Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, as reported by the BBC’s Sinhala Service and by AFP today, that he would love […]
Government orders local Internet service providers to block “Tamilnet” news website
(FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 20 June 2007 FMM press release: Clamping down on the Internet: The ban on “Tamilnet” in Sri Lanka 20 June 2007, Colombo, Sri Lanka – The FMM is deeply disturbed to learn that “Tamilnet” – http://www.tamilnet.com – a Tamil news website, is now being blocked by all major Internet […]
“Mawbima” journalist’s passport and identification document seized as harassment campaign continues
(FMM/IFEX) – The following is an FMM press release: Journalist Maunasamy Parmeshwari’s passport and National ID taken away The Free Media Movement (FMM) is deeply disturbed to note that journalist Maunusamy Parameshwari’s national identification document and passport were taken away this morning and have not been returned to her. Parameshwari was on her way to […]
FMM concerned Foreign Affairs Ministry comments prejudicial in cases against journalists
(FMM/IFEX) – The following is an abridged version of a 1 June 2007 FMM press release: A sinister campaign of disinformation in Sri Lanka 1 June 2007, Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Free Media Movement (FMM) is outraged by the extra-ordinary statements released to the media recently by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) on the […]
FMM concerned with opposition leader’s charges against media
(FMM/IFEX) – The following is an abridged version of a 1 June 2007 FMM media release: On parliamentary privilege and media freedom The Free Media Movement (FMM) expresses surprise and dismay at the statement issued by the United National Party (UNP) in response to FMM’s statement concerning the remarks made by the leader of the […]
Opposition leader wants editors summoned and questioned in Parliament over non-coverage of “vital” government statements
(FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 23 May 2007 FMM press release: Disappointing utterance by the Leader of the Opposition Colombo, Sri Lanka: The statement made by the Leader of the Opposition Ranil Wickremesinghe, that editors should be summoned to Parliament to be questioned under the Parliamentary Privileges Act, sorely disappoints the Free Media Movement […]
Journalist assaulted, ID and equipment seized
(FMM/IFEX) – The following is a press release by FMM and four other organisations: Journalist assaulted, ID and equipment forcibly confiscated Journalist S.M.M. Ramsan (32), a journalist with the weekly Tamil newspaper “Engal Thesam”, was assaulted by a group of people while he was covering a tsunami-related meeting at a school in Maradamune, in Ampara […]
Jaffna-based freelance reporter receives death threat; journalists threatened in Hatton, Ampara and Uva, one briefly detained
(FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 17 May 2007 FMM press release: Provincial correspondents threatened and harassed The Free Media Movement expresses serious concern at the continuous threats and harassment directed toward regional and provincial journalists by various power groups. Over the past few weeks, a number of provincial journalists had encountered difficulties in gathering […]
Newspaper editor questioned by police, pressured to reveal sources, over articles on corporate scandal
(FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 15 May 2007 FMM press release: CID questions leading Editor and investigative journalist The FMM is perturbed to learn that the Criminal Investigations Department (CID) of the Sri Lanka Police questioned the Editor of The Morning Leader, Sonali Samarasinghe, for over four hours today based on a complaint ostensibly […]
“The Death of Media Freedom in Sri Lanka”: FMM’s statement on World Press Freedom Day 2007
(FMM/IFEX) – The following is an abridged version of an FMM statement: The Death of Media Freedom in Sri Lanka Statement by the Free Media Movement (FMM) on World Press Freedom Day, 2007 Introduction Sri Lanka is a country at war. As a direct consequence of the increase in hostilities between the Government of Sri […]
Reporter with Tamil newspaper murdered in Jaffna
(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has condemned the 29 April 2007 murder of a young reporter employed by the daily “Uthayan”, one of the Tamil newspapers that has been most targeted by violence. Gunned down on his bicycle near the newspaper’s office in the northern city of Jaffna, Selvarajah Rajivarnam was the second journalist to […]
Editor of Tamil-language magazine shot dead in Vavuniya
(FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 19 April 2007 FMM press release: Editor of the Vavuniya based monthly magazine “Nilam” shot dead The editor of the Tamil-language monthly magazine “Nilam” (“the Ground”), Subash Chandraboas, aged 32, married and father of an eight-year-old daughter, was shot dead on 16 April 2007 at about 7:30 p.m (local […]
Defence secretary threatens to “exterminate” journalist with “Daily Mirror”; president promises investigation of threats to newspaper
(RSF/IFEX) – Reporters Without Borders has strongly condemned threats made by Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse, younger brother of the president, against the editor of the “Daily Mirror”, Champika Liyanaarachchi. The minister also threatened to “exterminate” a journalist on the newspaper, for writing articles about the plight of civilian victims of the war. Calling on the […]
High government official threatens newspaper editor over coverage of conflict
(FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 17 April 2007 FMM press release: Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary threatens Editor The FMM is outraged that Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, who is also the brother of President Mahinda Rajapaksha, threatened the editor of the “Daily Mirror”, Champika Liyanarachchi, over the telephone on the morning of 17 April 2007. […]
Health minister says media is “rabid” and needs medical help, following critical coverage of health ministry
(FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 12 April 2007 statement by FMM and other organisations: Inoculating and chastising the media: The Sri Lankan Health Minister’s statements against the media Our organisations strongly decry the recent statements made by the Health Minister in Sri Lanka, Nimal Siripala De Silva, against the media. Publicly stating that the […]
Newspaper closures show how government is abusing anti-terrorism law to silence criticism, says Human Rights Watch
(HRW/IFEX) – The following is a 12 April 2007 Human Rights Watch press release: Sri Lanka: Antiterrorism Laws Used to Muzzle the Press Government Abuses Legislation to Clamp Down on Criticism (New York, April 12, 2007) – The Sri Lankan government is abusing antiterrorism legislation to clamp down on journalists who expose human rights abuses, […]