DATE=6/5/2000
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=SRI LANKA CENSORSHIP (S-L COMBO)
NUMBER=2-263177
BYLINE=JIM TEEPLE
DATELINE=NEW DELHI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: Sri Lanka's government is lifting its month-
old censorship of foreign news reports on fighting
between government troops and Tamil separatists. The
government says domestic censorship of war news will
remain in place and foreign news reports on the
fighting that are either broadcast or printed locally
will also be censored. Correspondent Jim Teeple has
more from our South Asia bureau in New Delhi.
TEXT: Beginning in early May as Tamil rebels appeared
to win battle after battle against Sri Lanka's Army -
the government insisted that all reports filed on the
fighting be submitted to government censors. But
fighting has eased somewhat in the past two-weeks and
government officials say foreign-media journalists in
the country no longer have to submit their copy to
government censors.
Domestic censorship rules that have been in place for
two-years were also tightened considerably last month.
Police were given powers to seize property and jail
individuals for up to three-years without charges.
Previous censorship rules required three warnings, a
trial and a maximum sentence of two-years.
Police have shut down three newspapers in recent
weeks. Several news organizations have sued the
government over the rules. There has also been
international criticism from foreign news
organizations and free-press advocates.
// REST OPT //
More than 60-thousand people have died in 17-years of
fighting. The rebels say they are fighting for a
separate homeland for Tamils in northern and eastern
Sri Lanka. They say they face discrimination in jobs
and education at the hands of the Sinhalese majority
In April, Tamil rebels captured the Elephant Pass
military garrison that straddles the causeway linking
the Jaffna peninsula with the rest of Sri Lanka. It
appeared that the rebels would also capture Jaffna
city, which is defended by 40-thousand government
troops.
But in recent weeks the rebel advance has stalled.
Sri Lanka's military says it has killed one-thousand
rebels during the past month. Confirmation of both
sides' claims is impossible because no independent
observers are allowed into combat areas.
The Associated Press reports that Tamil rebels sank an
Israeli-made government navy attack boat - and also
that Sri Lanka's Air Force had mistakenly sunk another
of the boats during the same sea battle.
Meanwhile, Sri Lanka's President Chandrika Kumaratunga
appeared to rule out talks with the rebels. She told
a B-B-C interviewer that attempts to talk with the
Tamil Tigers have been made for six-years - and have
not resulted in progress. President Kumaratunga - who
narrowly escaped an assassination attempt last
December - says her government has a clear operation
plan to defeat the rebels, and will carry it out.
(SIGNED)
NEB/JLT/RAE
05-Jun-2000 11:33 AM EDT (05-Jun-2000 1533 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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