Attempt to bar foreign media covering Eastern province PC election

 

FMM expresses its concern government’s attempt to bar foreign media from covering provincial council elections in the Eastern province which is scheduled for 10th May 2008.

Military authorities turned back journalist Ravi Nesman and photographer Gamunu Amarasinghe of AP insisting that they need a special permission to cover the election in East.  Associated Press reporter Ravi Nesman and photographer photographer Gamunu Amarasinghe were stopped at a checkpoint in the eastern town of Valaichchenai   and ordered to leave the province and head straight back to the capital, Colombo. Apparently all check points on the main road was informed of the incident and license plate number of the car they were traveling. On their way back they were warned at every check point not to take any by roads.  FMM views this action by military officials as nothing but rude intimidation.

Maj. Gen. Palitha Fernando, a senior official in the Ministry of Defense (MOD) told the journalists that foreign media needs a special permission to cover the elections although no government authority provided information on the new restriction and how to obtain permission to cover the election.

MOD later reversed its decision after journalist’s rights groups and election monitoring organizations raised the issue with authorities protesting the arbitrary decision of MOD officials.   General Fernando later said there was a misunderstanding, journalists would be allowed to cover the election, and the reporters were allowed to return to the east.

Discouraging  media  from covering the Eastern Province election is a direct impingement people’s right to information and  this incident shows how easily this fundamental right is violated in Sri Lanka  today in the name of national security.

FMM calls for an investigation as to why there was an attempt to bar foreign media away from this very crucial election. Insisting that whoever responsible for this anti media decision should be made public FMM requests all government authorities to extend fullest cooperation to journalists and media covering the PC election on 10th May 2008. 

 

Sri Lanka rescinds move to bar foreign media from covering eastern elections

Associated Press, Thu May 8, 2008 10:05 EDT . - - VALAICHCHENAI, Sri Lanka - (AP) The Sri Lankan government said Thursday it was barring foreign journalists from covering weekend elections in the Eastern Province, but backed off hours later following a wave of protests by journalists and rights groups.
The election pits a coalition of the ruling party and former rebels against opposition parties in a region the government said it had freed from the control of Tamil Tiger rebels last year.

Opposition officials and rights groups say the former rebels are terrorizing voters and opponents and accuse the ruling party of using state resources to ensure its victory Saturday.

On Thursday, an Associated Press reporter and a photographer were stopped at a checkpoint in the eastern town of Valaichchenai and ordered to leave the province and head straight back to the capital, Colombo. Their license plate was then distributed to checkpoints in the area to ensure they complied.

Maj. Gen. Palitha Fernando, a senior official in the Defense Ministry, said any foreigner not registered as an election observer was barred from the volatile province during the polls.

Fernando said the barring of journalists and other foreigners was for their own protection.

“It could be dangerous. If something happens and a foreigner gets injured it will create problems,” Fernando said.

Media rights organizations protested the ban.

“Discouraging foreign media groups from covering the Eastern Province election shows the sorry state of our people’s right to information,” a coalition of five media rights groups said in a statement.

“We call for an investigation as to why there was an attempt to keep foreign media away from an election closely followed by the country and which many groups fear could be marred by violence and malpractice,” the statement added.

Fernando later said there was a misunderstanding, journalists would be allowed to cover the election, and the reporters were allowed to return to the east.

Saturday’s first-ever elections for the Eastern Provincial Council are seen as a referendum on the government’s performance since it drove the Tamil Tigers out of the region, which they had ruled for 13 years

Sri Lankan Defence Secretary calls journalists ‘traitors’ and calls for ban on independent media

5 May 2008, Colombo, Sri Lanka: It is reported in the Daily Mirror today (http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=13708) that Defence Secretary and brother of the President Gotabhaya Rajapaksa in a recent interview had called for the ban on independent media he thought published news stories detrimental to the security forces.

“Mr. Rajapaksa further termed as media ‘traitors’ those who published reports seen as harmful towards the security forces and military operations and stressed that such media should be banned.”

This is not the first time the younger brother of the President had openly threatened media. In April 2007 he called the Editor of the Daily Mirror Champika Liyanaarachchi and threatened her, saying that she would escape reprisals only if the resigned. He also threatened to “exterminate” the Daily Mirror journalist Uditha Jayasinghe, for writing articles about the plight of civilian war casualties. In January 2008, Gotabaya Rajapakse openly stated that media has to be censored and criminal defamation brought back in an interview with the Irida Lankadeepa newspaper.

“I think that there is no need to report any thing on the military. People do not want to know how many and what kind of arms we acquired. That is not media freedom. I tell without fear that if I have power I will not allow any of these things to write. I told the President that we need to bring press censorship at the beginning.”

The FMM in a statement issued then to condemn this incredible pronouncement averred that chilling warnings from a Defense Secretary with unbridled power without sound judgment was a significant threat to the freedom of expression and media freedom in Sri Lanka. Today, the threats have significantly grown. Nepotism, impunity and effrontery are the hallmarks of a coterie in government who as the RSF noted recently, are predators of media freedom in Sri Lanka.

The FMM unequivocally condemns the Defence Secretary’s statements. A regime that openly calls for censorship, clamps down on critical voices of dissent and is defined by vulturine thugs who prey on independent media is antithetical with the strengthening of media freedom in Sri Lanka.

The FMM seeks urgent clarification these matters from the Government and the President. Statements such as this must be condemned. The Defence Secretary must be held accountable for his words and reigned in. Independent media today faces unprecedented challenges in Sri Lanka in the pursuit of accurate, responsible and impartial journalism. Sadly, the most significant of them come from the Government in the South.

Unceasing attacks against journalists by the Government of Sri Lanka

 
4 May 2008, Colombo, Sri Lanka: The FMM is outraged to note that the Sri Lankan Government launched another vicious attack against The Sunday Times Consultant Editor and Defence Correspondent Iqbal Athas, ironically on the United Nations designated World Press Freedom Day.. In an article published on the Ministry of Defence website http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080502_06) the government accuses him of concocting facts regarding the debacle faced by the Sri Lankan Army recently in Muhamalai, thereby setting himself up as a stooge of the LTTE.
“…his great skill in misleading the public, desire to demoralize troops, and the need to give propaganda mileage to the terrorists. This is why the LTTE has possibly used people like Mr. Athas to write a heavily wired story like this…”
“…the overtones of bias and partial or complete falsity which are attached to it. We consider his work as seriously offending to the soldiers who are fighting valiantly at the battlefront, as well as to the people who supports them at heart.”
This is not the first time Iqbal Athas has been called a terrorist and traitor by the Government for his courageous reporting of the on-going war.  In October 2007, in a lengthy article captioned Mr. Iqbal Athas, stop insulting our soldiers’ sacrifices also posted on Ministry of Defense website, the Government charged that “Mr. Athas’ recent work raises doubts whether he has been assisting in the psychological operations of the LTTE terrorists” and goes on to note that “Whoever attempts to reduce public support to the security forces or attempts to damage the loyalty of the soldiers towards their commanders at this moment can only be considered as those who serve the cause of the terrorists.” ( http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20071001_06).
The FMM unequivocally respects  freedom of expression, and the Government’’s right to give its version of events on the on-going war. However, it cannot be deemed to be the only truth.. It is the inherent right of a journalist to sift fact from fiction, the truth from propaganda, to keep the public informed and educated. Journalists cannot be named and shamed as terrorists, at the will and pleasure of the Ministry of Defence or officials who conduct the ongoing war. To do so is an affront to professional journalism and a tragic denial of the public’s right to information.
In our opinion, these vicious attacks against Iqbal Athas by the Government are clear attempts of harassment, intimidation and the incitement of hatred. They are a chilling warning to the media community, both local and foreign, that the Government cannot and will not tolerate any dissent, criticism of its policies or actions related to the on-going war. Any independent view expressed by other journalists will only earn them the dubious title of “terrorst” - a sinister mud slinging campaign. It seems a strange co-incidence that the latest campaign against Athas comes in the backdrop of a eerie backdrop.

As Iqbal Athas notes in his column on 4th May 2008 ( ttp://www.sundaytimes.lk/080504/Columns/sitreport.html),
“Suspicious characters wielding pistols or grenades stalk outside their homes. When the Police discover them, superiors who then identify themselves offer seemingly convincing alibis. They are stranger than fiction. It is made out that those involved were on an “official mission” though the resources they use, like motorcycles for example, are in the names of civilians. Sometimes the stalkers provide unsolicited escort when one travels. They want to find out whom one visits and what for. It is a regular occurrence.”
This is highly disturbing situation and a well calculated attempt to prevent the media from reporting only Government propaganda. . A Janus faced Government that viciously quells voices of dissent and at the same time has the audacity to claim that it supports media freedom is the most significant challenge facing independent journalists in Sri Lanka today. Athas told FMM, he was convinced that the aim of all these attacks was to silence him. This is clearly a bad omen.
We have repeatedly noted that media freedom is essential for democratic governance. We have repeatedly called upon this government to stop abusing media personnel and journalists who provide vital and independent analyses. The Government continues to turn a deaf ear.

 

 

In the Balance: Press Freedom in South Asia 2007-2008

 

In the Balance:Press Freedom in South Asia 2007-2008

 An IFJ Asia Pacific report

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has released the sixth annual South Asia Press Freedom Report, produced for the South Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN). The report, released ahead of World Press Freedom Day on May 3, highlights the serious challenges that continue to confront the media in a region that is home to more than one-fifth of humanity.
The South Asia Press Freedom Report 2007-08 presents trends in detail for each country in the region, and lists the records prepared by IFJ affiliates and partners of direct attacks on journalists and media workers, noting media workers killed and incidents of physical harm and intimidation, and abductions and detentions.

Read the full report here. 

 

Press Imprisoned

 

By Jacqueline Park

Across the countries of South Asia, journalists and media workers continue to be imprisoned in one way or another.

In some cases, journalists are detained without charge, jailed on spurious allegations, or sentenced to extreme penalties for exercising the right to gather, analyse and share information of interest to the public at large.

In other cases, the shackles are evident where journalists and media institutions bow to the strictures of official censorship or seek pre-emptive security through self-censorship.

A disturbing trend is becoming apparent in some of the countries of South Asia, where data collected by local journalists’ organisations for the annual South Asia Press Freedom Report 2007-08 indicates that a high proportion of journalists and media personnel who are targeted for attack and intimidation are young people who are relatively new to the profession.

In Afghanistan, for example, a 23-year-old journalist and student, Syed Parvez Kambaksh, was sentenced to death on a charge of blasphemy after a closed-door hearing in January.

His crime? He is accused of downloading information from the internet about the rights of women under Islam and distributing it among a small number of students at Balkh University, Mazar-e-Sharif. He also happens to be the younger brother of a journalist who has incurred official displeasure by writing articles on security issues for an international news portal.

In Sri Lanka, Tamil journalist Munusamy Parameshwari is now 24. She fled her country recently and is in hiding after receiving death threats for several years. Her family was also threatened. From November 2006 to March 2007, Parameshwari was detained without charge under anti-terrorist laws. Shortly after her release she was abducted and assaulted by several men in uniform who warned her to discontinue her reporting.

Her crime? Parameshwari gathered information for articles that exposed government participation in abductions, as well as other human rights abuses. She is called a terrorist because she belongs to an ethnic group with which Sri Lanka’s Government is at war.

In seeking assistance to escape her tormentors, Parameshwari explains she needed to leave Sri Lanka in order “to live a fear-free life and regain my self esteem”. She adds: “The long period of detention and the constant harassment, coupled with the fear for my life, has had a serious impact on my psychological well-being and I am forced to seek counselling in order to function on a day-to-day basis.”

These examples are just the tip of the iceberg. Across South Asia and elsewhere in the world, young journalists bear the malicious brunt of forces opposed to press freedom and the right of all people to access information of importance to their everyday lives.

It is a deadly serious matter when journalists and media workers of any age and rank are censored, targeted for attack or imprisoned for the work they do to keep the public informed.

However, a further negative factor kicks in when extreme efforts to silence the voices and investigations of young and inquiring journalists like Kambaksh, Parameshwari and Akash dissuade aspiring journalists from entering the profession.

Young people may come to the conclusion that the risk of personal harm – to themselves and to their families – is too high a price to pay for seeking to report the truth.

Already, journalists and media workers in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh are reportedly leaving the profession, concerned for their safety on the job, frustrated by censors, compromised by pressures to self-censor, and demoralised by poor working conditions and pay.

Where the incentive does exist for younger people to enter journalism, commercial pressures may compel them to turn their backs on the public service values of the profession. In countries with high-levels of economic inequality, media professionals are increasingly required to reflect exclusively the interests and aspirations of those of wealth and privilege.

Press freedom is about much more than the right of a journalist to conduct his or her work without restriction and without fear of debilitating repercussions.

It is about much more than media institutions being free to disseminate information to consumers in a competitive market.

Press freedom is an essential component of the processes and structures of a free, stable and secure society. It cannot be achieved in isolation. It requires the collaborative efforts not only of journalists and their organisations, but media owners, political power-holders, community leaders and ordinary people.

At the core of the defence and strengthening of press freedom for the betterment of society, however, is the continuing renewal of the profession of journalism through the induction of young journalists willing to stand up and speak truth to power.

As journalists’ organisations and press freedom advocates around the world prepare to mark World Press Freedom Day this Saturday (3 May 2008), we should all consider why press freedom is important in our society, and stand up to ensure that new generations of journalists need not fear or suffer imprisonment, literally or figuratively.

Jacqueline Park is the Director of IFJ Asia-Pacific. IFJ Asia-Pacific released this week its sixth annual South Asia Press Freedom Report 2007-08. The IFJ represents over 600,000 journalists in 120 countries.

Govt. pressurizes independent media - Ranil

 
[2008-05-02 4.35pm] Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe says the government is trying to prevent criticism against it by exerting pressure on the independent media by accusing them of treason and intimidating them with death threats.

He was delivering an oration at the 15th death commemoration of Lalith Athulathmudali at the BMICH on April 28th.

Mr. Wickremesinghe said, “Our law provides for freedom of speech and the freedom of the press. Yet, government censorship and control of all major media outlets are undermining the social, civil and political right to free speech and the right to a free and effective media.”

 ”These rights are essential values upon which democratic societies are founded. By infringing upon these rights, the Government is not only suppressing the freedom and independence of its own people, but also constraining the right of the people to be informed - thus subverting the democratic process.”

“Currently, the Government exerts continual pressure on independent media institutions by accusing them of treason and intimidating them with death threats to prevent them from criticizing the Government.”

“Journalists in the south are temporarily imprisoned; some unfortunately practice self-censorship, while others seek refuge abroad.”

“Abductions, disappearances, beating and killing of reporters and journalists have become increasingly more common, resulting in a pervasive fear among the nation’s media personnel.”

“On March 13 2007 the Government froze the assets of Standard Newspapers Limited, publisher of Mawbima and English language Sunday Standard, which ceased publishing on March 29 2007.”

“I will not go into the details of the threats made by Dr Mervin Silva – Minister of Labour in relation to Rupavahini. The disgraceful incident at Rupavahini and the subsequent attacks on the Rupavahini staff has become a part of the horror story. What shocks me is the fact that despite such blatant revelations the Government has not done anything to investigate the matter.”

“Staff of Udayan and Sudar Oli newspapers have been subjected to numerous attacks by State agencies and paramilitary groups identified with the Government This includes the killing of five employees. Both Managing Director and Editor have been subjected to threats.”

“Iqbal Athas, the Defence Correspondent of Sunday Times has been subject to regular threats and had to leave the country.”

“The license of the ABC Radio was cancelled for reporting the presence of LTTE in Yala. Recently, some of the license of the ABC Radio was restored with Government nominees on the Board.”

“The Sunday Leader Newspapers had the ‘privilege’ of the visit by agents of the Government disguised in civilian clothes and the cost of that was burning of the building and part of the machinery.”

“Some of the other instances are:

Chevaan Daniel, Kingsley Ratnayaka and Susil Kedelpitya, of MBC TV and Radio network, SLWJA President Sanath Balasooriya and FMETU General Secretary Dharmasiri Lankapeli, among others, threatened in relation to the SLRC incident.

Social Services and Social Welfare Minister K.N. Douglas Devananda called Shakti TV Minnal presenter Sri Ranga Jeyarathnam a terrorist and a traitor.

“SLWJA Secretary Poddala Jayantha suffered attempted abduction at his home by an unknown gang.”

“Lal Hemantha Mawalage of Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation was threatened by an unidentified person who told him to get his coffin ready.”

“SLRC librarian Ranjani Aluthge stabbed in the back and shoulder while travelling on a bus.”

“7 journalists and media workers from www.outreachsl.com were taken in for questioning by Terrorist Investigations Department and not permitted to notify their families of their whereabouts.”

“J.S. Tissainayagam, Editor, and N. Jasiharan, of E-Kwality Printers, remain in custody as of March 20.”

“SLRC journalist Anurasiri Hettige was beaten with an iron rod by an unidentified gang.”

“The father and sister of journalist Munusami Parameshwari seriously injured at home by armed intruders. The group warned that Parameshwari would risk death if she returned to Gampola. Parameshwari remains in hiding.”

“International Press Institute Report of June 2007 on Sri Lanka noted “the pressures on the media have multiplied, […] with increasing fears for the safety of journalists”.  

“The report also criticized the Government for a lack of progress in the investigations of murdered and attacked journalists.”

“On November 18, 2007, the International Press Institute (IPI) added Sri Lanka to their watch list, a list of countries in which the  freedom of press has rapidly deteriorated.”

“The Board voted unanimously to add Sri Lanka to this list. Today, Sri Lanka is known as the third most dangerous place for journalists after  Iraq and Somalia,” Mr. Wickremesinghe added.

http://www.lankadissent.com/allnews/2008_05_02_07_news.htm
     

Sri Lanka cited on journalist murder ‘Impunity Index’

Sri Lanka cited on journalist murder ‘Impunity Index’
UNITED NATIONS, April 30, 2008 (AFP) - India, the Philippines, Mexico and Colombia — all democracies — were cited Wednesday among 13 countries with the poorest records of prosecuting murders of journalists, in a list released by the Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ).

The CPJ noted that while Iraq, Sierra Leone and Somalia, all four mired in conflict, were the worst offenders, most of the others were “established, peacetime democracies.”
“Most countries on the Impunity Index are democratic, are not at war, and have functioning law enforcement institutions, yet journalists are regularly targeted for murder and no one is held accountable,” it said as it released the index ahead of World Press Freedom Day, which falls Saturday.

“Every time a journalist is murdered and the killer is allowed to walk free, it sends a terrible signal to the press and to others who would harm journalists,” said New York-based CPJ Executive Director Joel Simon.

He urged governments on the list to “do more to demonstrate a real commitment to a free press.”

Almost half of the countries listed are in South Asia: Sri Lanka, Afghanistan, Nepal, Bangladesh, Pakistan, and India. And most of the murders ranked in the index were of local journalists in their home countries.

“We are calling for action: thorough investigations and vigorous prosecutions in all journalist homicides,” Simon added.

The index, which was compiled for the first time this year, calculates the number of unsolved journalist murders as a percentage of the population in each country.

CPJ examined every nation in the world for the years 1998 through 2007. Only those nations with five or more unsolved cases are included on the index. Cases are considered unsolved when no convictions have been obtained.

Iraq, the world’s most dangerous country for the press after the 2003 US-led invasion, was found to have the worst record, with 79 murders unsolved, most of the victims Iraqis killed for professional reasons.

Sierra Leone, which emerged from an 11-year civil war in 2002, had nine unsolved journalist murders while lawless Somalia, which has not known a stable government since 1991, had five unsolved cases.

In Colombia, at least 20 unsolved cases were reported, most of them involving journalists covering the conflict among right-wing paramilitaries, leftist guerillas, and government forces.

Human rights abuses in Sri Lanka flourish under veil of secrecy- AI

 
2 May 2008 /Ensuring respect for human rights around the world very often relies on impartial and rigorous media coverage – without exposure and public scrutiny abuses can flourish under a veil of secrecy and denial.

The importance of the media in conflict situations cannot be overstated, without reports, pictures and film of the fighting and the violence, no-one knows enough to put the pressure on the participants to ensure human rights are respected.

This need is particularly strong in Sri Lanka, where fatalities on all sides are believed to be very high with large numbers of civilians caught in the crossfire. All parties to the conflict are responsible for grave violations of human rights and breaches of international humanitarian law.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has expressed concern that “since the start of the year civilian casualties had gone up as the number of indiscriminate attacks had grown in the north, east and south of the country.”

Despite the gravity of the human cost of war, Sri Lanka is a conflict where journalists face unjustified restrictions on reporting and there are very few established facts. In fact, both sides consistently contradict each other.

The conflict in Sri Lanka is between government forces, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and armed Tamil groups alleged to be aligned with the government. Sri Lanka, as Amnesty International reported in its February report Silencing Dissent, is a country where media coverage of war has effectively been silenced – through threats, restrictions and violence.

The conflict in the north and east of Sri Lanka has continued to escalate since the ending of the ceasefire agreement on 16 January 2008. The withdrawal of the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission responsible for monitoring the implementation of the 2002 ceasefire agreement means that there is a vacuum of independent reporting of human rights violations. This makes it more urgent that journalists are allowed to report without undue restrictions and document human rights abuses on the ground.

Yet journalists are often barred from conflict areas. The LTTE does not allow independent reporting in the areas under its control, while the government masks the cost of the war.

According to the Free Media Movement, a Colombo-based media watchdog, Government of Sri Lanka officials have barred photographers in the past week from entering hospitals in Colombo where Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers injured in battle in late April are being treated.

According to the International Federation of Journalists, 25 journalists from the minority Tamil community had fled the Jaffna peninsula where government forces are battling Tamil Tiger rebels.

It is two years since support staff Suresh Kumar and Rajiv Kumar were gunned down at the Jaffna-based Uthayan newspaper office on 2 May 2006. The newspaper has come under severe attack because of its alleged Tamil nationalist stance. Seven media workers have been killed in Jaffna since the beginning of May 2006, four of these working with Uthayan.

Gunmen on motorcycles attacked the office and killed the two workers in the absence of the journalists the gunmen were apparently looking for. The killers still walk free.

“Publishing our daily newspaper in Jaffna is an increasingly Herculean and dangerous task with armed gunmen who continuously threaten our work and our lives,” said the editor of Uthayan.

To date, the organisation is unaware of any investigation that has led to the arrest and prosecution of those believed responsible for the killing of journalists and other media workers.

In another incident, journalist Jayaprakash Sittampalam Tissainayagam was arrested on 7 March and has been held in the Terrorist Investigation Division Detention centre in Colombo since. The authorities have claimed that he is held on suspicion of involvement with the LTTE, although he has not been charged with any offence.

Amnesty International has said that his detention is arbitrary. He is at risk of going blind if he does not receive specialist treatment for a serious eye condition.

In all, at least 10 media workers have been unlawfully killed in Sri Lanka since the beginning of 2006. Others have been arbitrarily detained, tortured and allegedly disappeared while in the custody of security forces.

For Press Freedom Day 2008, Amnesty International has urged the Sri Lankan government to protect media workers and their rights to life, liberty and security of person, in compliance with Sri Lanka’s obligations under international law. 

The organization has also called on the government to respect media workers and publicly announce that killings, threats, or other attacks will not be tolerated and to investigate all cases of attacks, disappearances and killings of media workers promptly, independently, impartially and effectively, irrespective of the identity of perpetrators or victims.

The organisation is also calling on the LTTE to issue instructions to all its members to cease all killings, threats or other attacks on media workers. All parties to the conflict must stop targeting journalists.

HUMAN RIGHTS ABUSES IN SRI LANKA FLOURISH UNDER VEIL OF SECRECY

From Amnesty International

Media protest, Colombo, Sri Lanka, December 2007

© LankaeNews

 

2 May 2008

Ensuring respect for human rights around the world very often relies on impartial and rigorous media coverage - without exposure and public scrutiny abuses can flourish under a veil of secrecy and denial. 

The importance of the media in conflict situations cannot be overstated, without reports, pictures and film of the fighting and the violence, no-one knows enough to put the pressure on the participants to ensure human rights are respected.

This need is particularly strong in Sri Lanka, where fatalities on all sides are believed to be very high with large numbers of civilians caught in the crossfire. All parties to the conflict are responsible for grave violations of human rights and breaches of international humanitarian law. 

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) has expressed concern that “since the start of the year civilian casualties had gone up as the number of indiscriminate attacks had grown in the north, east and south of the country.”

Despite the gravity of the human cost of war, Sri Lanka is a conflict where journalists face unjustified restrictions on reporting and there are very few established facts. In fact, both sides consistently contradict each other.

The conflict in Sri Lanka is between government forces, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and armed Tamil groups alleged to be aligned with the government. Sri Lanka, as Amnesty International reported in its February report Silencing Dissent, is a country where media coverage of war has effectively been silenced - through threats, restrictions and violence. 

The conflict in the north and east of Sri Lanka has continued to escalate since the ending of the ceasefire agreement on 16 January 2008. The withdrawal of the Sri Lankan Monitoring Mission responsible for monitoring the implementation of the 2002 ceasefire agreement means that there is a vacuum of independent reporting of human rights violations. This makes it more urgent that journalists are allowed to report without undue restrictions and document human rights abuses on the ground.

Yet journalists are often barred from conflict areas. The LTTE does not allow independent reporting in the areas under its control, while the government masks the cost of the war.

According to the Free Media Movement, a Colombo-based media watchdog, Government of Sri Lanka officials have barred photographers in the past week from entering hospitals in Colombo where Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers injured in battle in late April are being treated.

According to the International Federation of Journalists, 25 journalists from the minority Tamil community had fled the Jaffna peninsula where government forces are battling Tamil Tiger rebels.

It is two years since support staff Suresh Kumar and Rajiv Kumar were gunned down at the Jaffna-based Uthayan newspaper office on 2 May 2006. The newspaper has come under severe attack because of its alleged Tamil nationalist stance. Seven media workers have been killed in Jaffna since the beginning of May 2006, four of these working with Uthayan.

Gunmen on motorcycles attacked the office and killed the two workers in the absence of the journalists the gunmen were apparently looking for. The killers still walk free.

“Publishing our daily newspaper in Jaffna is an increasingly Herculean and dangerous task with armed gunmen who continuously threaten our work and our lives,” said the editor of Uthayan.

To date, the organisation is unaware of any investigation that has led to the arrest and prosecution of those believed responsible for the killing of journalists and other media workers.

In another incident, journalist Jayaprakash Sittampalam Tissainayagam was arrested on 7 March and has been held in the Terrorist Investigation Division Detention centre in Colombo since. The authorities have claimed that he is held on suspicion of involvement with the LTTE, although he has not been charged with any offence. 

Amnesty International has said that his detention is arbitrary. He is at risk of going blind if he does not receive specialist treatment for a serious eye condition. 

In all, at least 10 media workers have been unlawfully killed in Sri Lanka since the beginning of 2006. Others have been arbitrarily detained, tortured and allegedly disappeared while in the custody of security forces. 

For Press Freedom Day 2008, Amnesty International has urged the Sri Lankan government to protect media workers and their rights to life, liberty and security of person, in compliance with Sri Lanka’s obligations under international law.  

The organization has also called on the government to respect media workers and publicly announce that killings, threats, or other attacks will not be tolerated and to investigate all cases of attacks, disappearances and killings of media workers promptly, independently, impartially and effectively, irrespective of the identity of perpetrators or victims. 

The organisation is also calling on the LTTE to issue instructions to all its members to cease all killings, threats or other attacks on media workers. All parties to the conflict must stop targeting journalists. 

READ MORE

Call for the protection of Sri Lankan media workers
Journalists in danger in Sri Lanka (Feature, 5 February 2008)