Sri Lanka

**Updates IFEX alerts of 22 and 4 May 2000** (CPJ/IFEX) – In a 22 May 2000 letter to President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga, CPJ expressed profound dismay over his government’s use of censorship regulations to restrict coverage of the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The organisation is particularly alarmed by the recent […]

**Updates IFEX alert of 4 May 2000** (FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 22 May 2000 FMM press release: TWO NEWSPAPERS SHUTDOWN The Free Media Movement wishes to express its condemnation of the closure of two newspapers, namely ‘Uthayan’ and ‘The Sunaday Leader’. ‘Uthayan’ is the only newspaper published in Jaffna. Since the fresh outbreak […]

(ARTICLE 19/IFEX) – The following is an ARTICLE 19 press release: ARTICLE 19 calls on Sri Lankan government to revoke war censorship The Sri Lankan government unreasonably extended the already excessive restrictions on freedom of expression on 4 May 2000, effectively placing the country on a war footing. The authorities claim that extending reporting restrictions […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a 12 May 2000 letter to the post, telecommunications and media minister, Mangala Samaraweera, RSF protested the censoring of British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) programmes by state-owned radio and television stations. The measure follows a government decision to impose new restrictions on press freedom and particularly to extend censorship to news put out […]

(FMM/IFEX) – The following is an FMM press release: New censorship laws will lead to an authoritarian rule in Sri Lanka Free Media Movement is perturbed by the imposition of a new set of rules and regulations to curb freedom of expression under the pretext of combating the developing war situation in Jaffna. The Government […]

The following is a 6 April 2000 FMM press release: Assaulting a BBC Sandeshaya Journalist is another kind of terrorism Free Media Movement unequivocally condemns the assault on Mr. Elmo Fernando, the BBC Sinhala service journalist, who was covering the anti-peace demonstration of the National Movement Against Terrorism (NMAT) on Thursday 5 April. He was […]

**Updates IFEX alert of 4 April 2000** (FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 4 April 2000 FMM press release: INVESTIGATE THE BOMB ATTACK ON VEERAKESARI JOURNALIST Free Media Movement condemns and asks for a speedy inquiry into the bomb attack on the house of Mr. G. Nadesan, Veerakesari correspondent in Batticoalo city, which took place […]

**Updates IFEX alert of 7 April 2000** (CPJ/IFEX) – The following is a 7 April 2000 CPJ news alert: SRI LANKA: BBC CORRESPONDENT ASSAULTED IN COLOMBO New York, April 7, 2000 — CPJ condemns the April 6 assault on Elmo Fernando, Sri Lanka correspondent for the BBC’s Sinhala-language service. Fernando was attacked in front of […]

In a 7 April 2000 letter to Post, Telecommunications and Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera, RSF protested an assault on a correspondent of the international radio station British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) World Service. The assault occurred during a demonstration by opponents of the peace talks between the government and Tamil independence campaigners. RSF asked Samaraweera to […]

(RSF/IFEX) – In a 3 April 2000 letter to Post, Telecommunications and Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera, RSF protested a grenade attack against the house of journalist Nellai G. Nadesan. RSF asked the minister to open an inquiry so that full light might be shed on the case. According to Robert Ménard, the organisation’s secretary-general, “the […]

The following is a 2 March 2000 ARTICLE 19 letter to the Sri Lankan media minister, replying to his letter of 27 January: 2 March 2000 The Hon. Mangala Samaraweera, M.P. Minister of Posts, Telecommunications & The Media Level 18, West Tower Trade Center Echelon Square Colombo 1 Sri Lanka By fax: 00 94 1 […]

(FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 7 February 2000 Free Media Movement press release: PRESS STATEMENT THE NEW GOVERNMENT REGULATIONS ARE AN OBSTACLE TO FREEDOM OF INFORMATION The Free Media Movement believes that the press release issued by the government on February 1, 2000, drawing attention to a Cabinet decision to require strict adherence to […]

(FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 28 January 2000 FMM press release: PRESS RELEASE THE INTIMIDATION OF ARTISTS ANOJA, RUKANTHA AND CHANDRALEKHA IS A STEP TOWARDS TERRORIZING THE ENTIRE NATION The Free Media Movement believes that the extension of the anti-media hate campaign launched by the government following the Presidential election on December 21, 1999, […]

The following is an ARTICLE 19 letter to the Sri Lankan media minister, expressing concern about published accusations of “conspiracy” against independent media editors: The Hon Mangala Saramweera, MP Minister of Posts, Telecommunications & the Media Level 18, West Tower Trade Centre Echelon Square Colombo 1 Sri Lanka By fax: 00 94 1 440488 19 […]

**Updates IFEX alerts of 6 January 2000, 10 September, 8 September and 19 July 1999** (FMM/IFEX) – The following is a FMM press release: The Free Media Movement (FMM) is extremely concerned by the unprecedented attack on the independent privately owned media in Sri Lanka by President Chandrika Kumaratunga. In a three hour discussion on […]

**Updates IFEX alert of 4 January 2000** (CPJ/IFEX) – CPJ is condemning the 31 December 1999 murder of Vasthian Anthony Mariyadas, a freelance radio reporter who was on assignment for the state-run Sri Lankan Broadcasting Corporation when he was shot dead in the northern town of Vavuniya. The assassination took place outside St. Anthony’s Church, […]