United in Fear: Travails of Detainee families

(Published in TheSunday Times on last sunday written by wife of Tissainayagam, the journalist in TID custody)
 March 30th, 2008
 By Ronnate Tissainayagam
 It was very early on a Saturday morning, we were all gathering in  front of the Fort Railway Station. No we were not planning to go on a  trip, We were the wives/sisters of the [...]

On harassments faced by Film Director Thushara Peiris in Chennai, India

Hon. Alok Prasad
His Excellency the High Commissioner
Indian High Commission
Colombo 2, Sri Lanka.
30 March 2008
Dear Sir,
On harassments faced by Film Director Thushara Peiris in Chennai, India
It has been reported that film director Thusara Peiris was harassed and assaulted by a group calling themselves as “Tamil Nadu Film Directors Association” when he visited Gemini Studios in [...]

The state media and freedom of expression

Sunday March 30, 2008
By Kishali Pinto Jayawardena
If EEC Abeysekera, that quietly unflagging champion of the broadbasing of Lake House was alive today, he would surely have rejoiced at the (somewhat peculiar) fact of the Lake House Employees’ Union (LHEU) invoking the jurisdiction of the Supreme Court this week asking for the implementation of the ‘Lake [...]

Employees Unions files FR petition to save Lake House

   
          
  The Lake House Employees’ Union filed a Fundamental Rights petition in the Supreme Court yesterday (Mar. 27th) against Lake House workers being compelled to work to the whims of political forces who ignored implementing of the Lake House Provisions Act for nearly 35 years.
Speaking to ‘Lankadissent’, Secretary of the Union, Dharmasiri Lankapeli said the [...]

On continued detention of Tamil journalist Tissainayagam

The Free Media Movement is concerned about the continued detention of Tamil journalist Tissainayagam and of Mr. and Mrs. Jesiharan, the owners of E-Kwality Press on whose premises Mr. Tissainayagam had the offices of his website OutreachSL.
It is now over two weeks since Mr. Tissainayagam was detained by the Terrorist Investigations Department, He continues to [...]

Keheliya angry over Lankadeepa, Leader and Lanka e News

Lanka-e-News, 2008 March 25, 8.00 PM) Defence Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella criticized Lankadeepa, Leader and Lanka-e-News website for disseminating news that affected the security forces.
Lankadeepa was criticized since one of its articles said that the Army Commander Sarath Fonseka first said that the war would be ended after Wanni and Kilinochchi were captured but now [...]

Retrograde Government MP threatens media again

22nd March 2008, Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Free Media Movement (FMM) is deeply disturbed to hear that Government MP and Minister of Labour Mervyn Silva, notorious for threatening media and journalists, has threatened MTV / MBC journalists covering the opening of a flyover bridge in his electorate on 20th March. Addressing the News First journalists, [...]

Tissa: I don’t know why I am being held

Detained Sunday Times columnist petitions Supreme Court
Says his rights have been violated.  
On March 8, around 3 a.m., about five TID officers took him to his residence and searched the premises till 4 a.m. The police officers found a copy of the North Eastern Monthly Magazine which they took with them. Mr. Tissainayagam said he [...]

Another nail in the coffin: The open militarisation of State owned media in Sri Lanka

21st March 2008, Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Free Media Movement (FMM) is outraged that the government has appointed retired Army Major General Sunil Silva as Additional Director General (Administration) of the State controlled TV station Sri Lanka Rupavahini Cooperation (SLRC).  Major General Sunil Silva retired in January 2008.  
This appointment beggars belief, especially less than 48 [...]

Another nail in the coffin: The open militarisation of State owned media in Sri Lanka

21st March 2008, Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Free Media Movement (FMM) is outraged that the government has appointed retired Army Major General Sunil Silva as Additional Director General (Administration) of the State controlled TV station Sri Lanka Rupavahini Cooperation (SLRC).  Major General Sunil Silva retired in January 2008.
This appointment beggars belief, especially less than 48 [...]