Sri Lanka

(FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 22 January 2004 FMM press release: Threats to a journalist on religious grounds The Free Media Movement condemns attempts by extremist groups to attack a well-known political columnist and freelance journalist. Upul Joseph Fernando has been accused of writing a defamatory leaflet against Buddhists in Sri Lanka. Mr. Fernando […]

(FMM/IFEX) – The following is an FMM press release: The Free Media Movement (FMM) condemns as a serious threat to media freedom two recent developments within the Lake House Group and the behaviour of its new management, which was appointed after the group was taken over by Sri Lanka’s president. The concerns relate firstly to […]

(FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 6 January 2004 FMM press release: Jaffna journalist Veluppillai Thavachelvam faces repeated threats FMM vehemently condemns the ongoing hostility by the Sri Lankan army in Jaffna towards Jaffna-based, Tamil-language journalist Veluppillai Thavachelvam. Thavachelvam is a leading local correspondent for Sri Lankan and international Tamil media and the president of […]

(FMM/IFEX) – The following is an 18 December 2003 FMM press release: Presidential Task Force on Media Freedom On 16 December 2003, the President of Sri Lanka appointed a task force on media freedom. The task force includes academics, politicians and a few print media journalists, but does not include any women or electronic media […]

(FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 15 December 2003 FMM press release: On ban of government advertising in state media FMM condemns the United National Front (UNF) government’s cabinet decision to ban the allocation of state sector advertising in state media that is under the president. By this decision, the government has once again shown […]

(FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 30 November 2003 FMM press release: FMM welcomes proposal to set up an independent media council The Free Media Movement (FMM) welcomes the proposal to set up an Independent Media Council included in President Chandrika Kumaratunga’s proposal for political consensus. FMM has been campaigning for the greater democratization of […]

(IPI/IFEX) – In an 11 November 2003 letter to President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, IPI called on her to turn state-controlled television in Sri Lanka into genuine public service broadcasters. After reviewing the recent crisis in Sri Lanka that saw President Kumaratunga remove the country’s information minister and dismiss the heads of state-controlled broadcasters, replacing them […]

(FMM/IFEX) – The following is an FMM press release: The Free Media Movement (FMM) is deeply concerned about the uncertain situation in the country after the President’s takeover of three key ministries on 4 November 2003. The ministries of Defense, Interior and Mass Communications were taken over by the President, citing security concerns. FMM is […]

(IPI/IFEX) – The following is an IPI press release: Vienna, 6 November 2003 IPI Supports Speedy Return to Parliamentary Democracy and the Lifting of Emergency Laws in Sri Lanka The International Press Institute (IPI) calls on President Chandrika Kumaratunga to rescind her decision to introduce emergency laws that impede the free flow of information in […]

(FMM/IFEX) – The following is an FMM press release: A group of Sinhala extremist demonstrators used physical force and violence in an attempt to disrupt a Sinhala-Tamil cultural conference and harm its participants. The conference was being held in Colombo, Sri Lanka, on 29 and 30 October 2003. The FMM vehemently condemns these undemocratic actions […]

(IPI/IFEX) – The following is an IPI press release: Vienna, 17 September 2003 IPI Removes Sri Lanka from Watch List At the Board Meeting of the International Press Institute, held in Salzburg, Austria, on 13 September, the Executive Board Members voted to remove Sri Lanka while agreeing to keep Russia, South Korea, Venezuela and Zimbabwe […]

(FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 12 September 2003 FMM press release: FMM requests an impartial inquiry on violation of freedom of expression of protesting graduates On 10 September 2003, a gang led by Minister Mahinda Wijesekara unleashed a physical attack on a group of unemployed graduates who were holding a peaceful hunger strike demanding […]

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – The following is an ARTICLE 19 press release: ARTICLE 19 RECOMMENDS FAR-REACHING REFORM OF SRI LANKAN CONTEMPT LAW ARTICLE 19 has made a submission to the Sri Lankan Parliament Select Committee – Contempt of Court in Sri Lanka: Recommendations for Codification – setting out reforms adopted in other jurisdictions and making recommendations […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has condemned the Tamil Tigers’ (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, LTTE) persistent attempts to silence the Tamil-language weekly “Thinamurasu”. RSF expressed particular concern over the ambush of a “Thinamurasu” distribution truck on 7 August 2003 by some 50 armed LTTE activists. They torched 5,000 copies of the newspaper after forcing the truck […]

(RSF/IFEX) – RSF has called on the Sri Lankan government to disavow one of its members, Fisheries Minister Mahinda Wijeskera, after he threatened to kill Lasantha Wickrematunga, editor of the weekly “The Sunday Leader”. The minister’s death threat followed the newspaper’s publication of articles accusing him of corruption. Wijeskera claimed he had the prime minister’s […]

(IFJ/IFEX) – In a 3 July 2003 letter to Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe, Mass Communication Minister Imtiaz Bakir Markar and Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Chairman Nalin Ladduwahetty, the IFJ expressed deep concern over the death threats received by journalist Poddala Jayantha, of “Silumina” newspaper. According to the IFJ’s information, Jayantha has received death threats by […]