09 June 2000
Text: Journalism Group Criticizes Sri Lanka's Censorship
("Deeply Disturbed" that restrictions on local media continue) (600)
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) sent a letter June 5 to the
president of Sri Lanka stating that the organization is "deeply
disturbed" that censorship regulations remain in place and
restrictions on local media continue.
The letter, which was addressed to President Chandrika Bandaranaike
Kumaratunga, stated that CPJ welcomed the government's decision to
lift the prior censorship on foreign media.
"CPJ finds it alarming that Sri Lankan residents now have less access
to news and information about the civil war than people living outside
the country," wrote Ann Cooper, executive director of CPJ.
Emergency regulations were imposed in Sri Lanka on May 3, following
military advances by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).
Following is the text of CPJ's letter:
(begin text)
SRI LANKA: GOVERNMENT LIFTS PRIOR CENSORSHIP OF FOREIGN MEDIA; LOCAL
PRESS STILL SHACKLED
June 5, 2000
Her Excellency Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunga President,
Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka Presidential Secretariat
Colombo-1 Sri Lanka
Your Excellency:
The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) welcomes your government's
decision to lift the prior censorship requirement for foreign media,
but is deeply disturbed that the censorship regulations remain in
place and that restrictions on local media continue.
The emergency regulations were imposed on May 3, following critical
military advances by rebel forces of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil
Eelam (LTTE). Even before these advances, however, Sri Lankan
authorities routinely denied journalists access to conflict areas,
thus hampering their ability to report on the war.
Under the terms of the emergency regulations, censorship was imposed
on all media. While foreign correspondents based in Sri Lanka are no
longer required to submit their stories to a censor, "the government
also expects that the foreign media would act with a sense of
responsibility complying with the regulation," according to the text
of the government statement carried by the Reuters news agency.
Local journalists have been subject to censorship provisions since
June 1998, but the new regulations give the government the power to
arrest journalists, seize their property, block the distribution of
newspapers, and shut down printing presses on broadly defined grounds
of "national security." Local journalists have told CPJ that these are
the most draconian censorship provisions ever enacted in Sri Lanka.
Already, two newspapers have been shut down under the regulations: On
May 19, authorities closed the offices of Uthayan, the only Tamil
daily published in the northern city of Jaffna. On May 22, police shut
down a printing plant belonging to Leader Publications (Pvt.) Ltd.,
which owns the English-language daily The Sunday Leader, in order to
stop the paper's publication.
By closing down the printing press, authorities have also effectively
suppressed Irida Peramuna, a Sinhala-language sister publication of
The Sunday Leader, which has not been cited for any offense, according
to Leader Publications.
CPJ finds it alarming that Sri Lankan residents now have less access
to news and information about the civil war than people living outside
the country. As an organization of journalists dedicated to the
defense of press freedom around the world, we repeat our urgent call
for Your Excellency to lift all censorship restrictions immediately,
and ensure that journalists are allowed to report freely in the
conflict zones.
We thank you for your attention to this urgent matter, and await your
response.
Sincerely,
Ann Cooper Executive Director
(end text)
(Distributed by the Office of International Information Programs, U.S.
Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)
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