CIVICUS discusses restrictions on press freedom in Sri Lanka with human rights defender and journalist Sunanda Deshapriya.
Sri Lanka marks the 16th anniversary of the murder of journalist Lasantha Wickramatunga amid growing calls for press freedom and accountability. A coalition of rights groups and journalists has petitioned the authorities to strengthen media protections and called for the repeal of laws that stifle media freedom and criminalise dissent. Civil society also calls for independent investigations into past violence against journalists and the establishment of an independent media commission.
What’s the state of press freedom in Sri Lanka?
Press freedom is under significant threat, with restrictive laws such as the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and the Online Safety Act (OSA) posing major challenges.
The PTA, introduced in 1979, has long been used to suppress dissent and restrict freedom of expression. Despite repeated promises to repeal or amend it, the authorities continue to use it against journalists, activists and human rights defenders who criticise the government.
The authorities also use this law to silence minorities and create a climate of fear that perpetuates repression. They use terrorism charges to justify arrests and other actions against those commemorating the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, also known as the Tamil Tigers, a militant organisation once based in east and north Sri Lanka. This is a particularly sensitive issue in Sri Lanka’s ongoing ethnic conflict. For example, a Tamil activist was recently arrested simply for sharing a photograph linked to Tamil militant leader Prabhakaran.
Similarly, the OSA has recently given the government broader powers to censor online content and punish individuals and media outlets. The government has used them to block news organisations and silence criticism. For example, it banned New Centre media from publishing a report on television. Because of its broad scope, this law has had a chilling effect.
Taken together, these two laws have created a hostile environment for freedom of expression, online and offline, further reducing the space for independent journalism in Sri Lanka. The use of state-owned media outlets for government propaganda exacerbates the problem. In a clear attempt to further increase political influence over the media, the government recently entered into an agreement with the Chinese state media company Xinhua to train state media journalists. This further reduces the prospects for an independent press and makes it harder for journalists to report on issues without fear of retribution.
In the face of mounting criticism that these repressive laws are not being abolished as promised, the government has announced it will use the PTA carefully until it’s replaced and is halting the implementation of the OSA. While we welcome these announcements, we take them with a pinch of salt, as previous governments made similar statements but didn’t act on them.