Freedom of expression

Press release/ 09 Nov 2011Last Friday (04th November 2011) the Government of Sri Lanka took the unprecedented step of demanding that all internet based web sites which cover Sri Lanka news and views should register with the information ministry. Sending a strong message of intended action against websites which do not register in accordance with […]

”Lawyers for Democracy (LfD) states that the present regime fears criticism, dissent and any democratic challenge on their undemocratic and corrupt actions. In the recent past, Sri Lanka has had a questionable track record of limiting freedom of expression with dozens of journalists being killed and few media institutions being attacked. In none of these […]

(Lanka-e-News) The owners of websites and Editors are gearing to file legal suits against the imposing of illegal bans on websites . It is also reported that media Organizations are also getting ready to file another case against the ban . The ban is clearly illegal as it is an absolute denial of media rights […]

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the new registration rules introduced by the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) for websites hosting any manner of content on the country, which has led to the blocking of several websites for internet users in Sri Lanka. These include Lanka News Web, Sri Lanka Mirror, Sri Lanka Guardian […]

PRESS RELEASE/STATEMENT BY EU HEADS OF MISSION IN COLOMBOEU Heads of Mission in Colombo view with concern the recent blocking of various news websites in Sri Lanka. The EU considers that freedom of press forms an integral part of any democratic system. The EU therefore believes that the media should be allowed to operate independently. […]

BHARATHA MALLAWARACHI(AP)Sri Lanka has blocked five news websites because they committed character assassination and insulted people including key political leaders, officials said Monday. Media groups criticized the moves as undemocratic, and the U.S. Embassy recently raised concerns about press freedom in Sri Lanka.Sri Lankan laws do not restrict the press from criticizing leaders, but media […]

A survey revealed that certain websites violate the country’s laws, says media ministry Media watchdogs in Sri Lanka have raised serious concerns over the latest move by the government to block certain websites seem to be critical of the government.The Free Media Movement (FMM) said the government is now targeting the new media despite facing […]

 Leon Berenger More news websites were blocked yesterday as the Government said those carrying news relating to Sri Lanka should register with it – prompting strong protests by the main opposition United National Party. Following the ban on lankaenews website, the government yesterday blocked SriLankaguardian.com, paparaci.com, gossip9.com, srilankamirror.com and lankawaynews.com., which is the official website […]

REUTERSSri Lanka ordered news websites on Saturday to register with the Media Ministry, in what critics called a further step toward restricting media after the banning of an anti-government site last month.“It’s a request from the Media Ministry to register (news) websites with the ministry,” said Director General of the government’s Information Department Ariyarathna Athugala.He […]

(AFP)  Sri Lanka on Saturday warned websites to register with the authorities after the United States expressed deep concern over Colombo’s blocking of a popular Internet-based dissident publication.  The Ministry of Mass Media and Information said many reports posted on dissident websites amounted to character assassination of President Mahinda Rajapakse, his ministers and top officials. […]

Srilankamirror- www.srilankamirror.com website has been blocked by the internet service provider Sri Lanka Telecom. As a result, updating the website has become difficult.  Our attempts to contact Telecommunications Regulatory Commission director general Anusha Pelpita for a comment were unsuccessful.  We apologize to our readers over this unfortunate situation which has come at a time when we […]

 S.S.SELVANAYAGAM When the rights petitions of the aggrieved workers of the Katunayake Free Trade Zone complaining of police assault came up before the Supreme Court, the Solicitor General told Court that the investigation is pending and assured that the investigation would be completed within a month. Solicitor General Palitha Fernando informed Court the Confidential Interim […]

Reporters Without Borders has written an open letter to President Mahinda Rajapaksa urging him to take whatever measures are necessary to protect Frederica Jansz, the editor of The Sunday Leader, and to ensure that those responsible for last week’s death threats against her are arrested.The threatening letter Jansz received on 27 October was prompted by […]

Political context Restrictions on freedoms of association and peaceful assembly in the north of the country  Serious reprisals against human rights defenders seeking accountability for human rights violations Slandering campaigns against human rights defenders and NGOs In 2010 and until April 2011, freedoms of association, peaceful assembly and expression remained significantly hindered in Sri Lanka, […]

Indika Sri AravindaThe Editor of The Sunday Leader, Frederica Jansz last Thursday (27) received a death threat via the post to her residence. Frederica lodged a complaint with the Mirihana Police after receiving the threat.This is not the first time and it certainly will not be the last that Editors at this newspaper receive death […]

Press release/ 27 Oct 2011NfR Sri Lanka, a network of Sri Lankan journalists and human rights defenders views the blocking of the website of Lanka e News in Sri Lanka as clear sign of the present regime’s fear of an informed citizenry. The site has been blocked by the State owned Telecom, its subsidiary Mobitel […]

There seems to be a link between Colombo Stock Exchange (CSE), illegal drugs and the recent murder of a presidential advisor, says the owner of a private media network. Shan Wickramsinghe, the owner of the TNL media network, told BBC Sandeshaya that he received death threats after his network discussed the alleged link in a […]

One of Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s racketeer friends, the head of Triad Advertising and Derana Network, Dilith Jayaweera also known as “Money Laundering” Jayaweera has threatened the Opposition Leader’s brother and the head of TNL TV, Shan Wickremesinghe with death.Shan Wickremesinghe has joined a current affairs programme on TNL TV and said that the Colombo […]

Press release/ 24.10.2011The Free Media Movement (FMM) unequivocally condemns the recent action by internet service providers Sri Lanka Telecom (SLT) and Dialog Axiata PLC to block access to the Lanka E News website in Sri Lanka.  The blockage by the State owned SLT and the privately owned Dialog is a serious threat to both mainstream […]

  Nirmala Kannangara in Nuwara Eliya Pictures by Asoka Fernando The sudden demise of 40 year old Pitchai Jesudasan, the main suspect in The Sunday Leader Editor-in-Chief Lasantha Wickrematunge murder case has raised many questions. Jesudasan was arrested by the Terrorist Investigation Department (TID) on February 26, 2010 at his residence No. 31, Magastota Estate, Ruwan […]

Frederica JanszSo now Pitchai Jesudasan from Nuwara Eliya is dead. The sole remaining suspect in the murder of Lasantha Wickrematunge.  Jesudasan is not the first and will most certainly not be the last man to die “suddenly” while in remand custody.This man was only 40 years old. He hailed from a poor family in Nuwara […]

The Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) has received information that Pichchei Jesudasan, the primary suspect in the murder of veteran journalist editor of the Sunday Leader News Paper, Lasantha Wickramatunga, died while in remand prison. The other suspect who was arrested in relation to this case confessed to the Magistrate that he is under severe […]

The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by reports that access to anti-government news website Lanka eNews has been blocked inside Sri Lanka, according to the site’s exiled editor and users inside the country. All three language versions of the site, English, Sinhala, and Tamil, have not been available since Tuesday. A Sri Lankan journalist […]

Two of Sri Lanka’s Internet Service Providers – Dialog and Telecom – have illegally blocked Lanka E News to their customers.  The chairman of the Telecommunication Reclamation Commission,(TRC) Anusha Palapita, stated that he has not given such orders to any internet service providers that he was unaware of this incident.For further clarification we tried to […]

Int’l campaign to seek justice for Bharatha An international campaign will be launched to expose and punish the killers of presidential advisor Bharatha Lakshman Premachandra, says his sister.  Speaking to the media at Hotel Nippon in Colombo today (Oct. 18), Swarna Gunaratne said the conspiracy to murder her brother had been planned since a long […]

The successive SL governments in Colombo have been subjecting the student leaders of the University of Jaffna to state terror and harassment and the student community is not going to give up voicing for the rights of Eezham Tamils, said student leaders who addressed the gathering of more than 1,000 students at the University grounds […]

Freedom of the Press 2011 – Sri LankaStatus: Not FreeLegal Environment: 23Political Environment: 30Economic Environment: 18Total Score: 71 Despite the end of the government’s long-running war with the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebel group in May 2009, media freedom remained restricted in Sri Lanka, with journalists subject to myriad forms of legal harassment and […]

Vishnuguptha “Anyway, no drug, not even alcohol, causes the fundamental ills of society. If we’re looking for the source of our troubles, we shouldn’t test people for drugs, we should test them for stupidity, ignorance, greed and love of power.”- P. J. O’Rourke American political satiristOnly a symptomWhat happened on the afternoon of the Election […]

Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent, know that you are on the wrong side of history,” US President Barrack Obama during his inauguration speech in 2009. Over two and a half years later, the murder investigation on The Sunday Leader Founding Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge has […]

Presidential Advisor Baratha Lakshman Premachnadra had to face this untimely death because he appeared for truth and justice even during the last moments of his life, SLFP General Secretary Maithripala Sisisena said paying a glowing tribute to Mr. Premachandra at his funereal in Kolonnawa today.Stating that this unfortunate tragedy was a result of declining indiscipline […]