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Concern over threats to media in Sri Lanka

B. Muralidhar Reddy

COLOMBO: An international mission to Sri Lanka has expressed concern over the threats, abductions and attacks the media received from all parties to the conflict, particularly paramilitary and militia groups.

In a report after a three-day visit from October 9, a five-member delegation representing the International Mission in Sri Lanka called for free flow of information.

"While the International Mission examined the current situation of the

Sinhala-, Tamil- and English-language media in Sri Lanka, it paid particular attention to the repression of the Tamil-language media, which has come under heavy and sustained attack, especially in areas affected by the fighting. This situation has restricted the free flow of information in the North and East, hindering public awareness throughout the country of events in these areas," it said.

VIolent attempts

It said eight media workers had been killed since August 2005 and there had been numerous death threats and incidents of harassment, including violent attempts, to stop the distribution of newspapers. Even in cases where evidence exists of the identity of the alleged killers, authorities have apparently taken little or no action.

"Those supporting a negotiated settlement are often labelled as "traitors" and supporters of one or the other combatant parties, and there appears to be an acceptance of hate speech. Hence many media workers are in hiding, some for up to six months, while in other cases threats have been made to the families of media workers."

The mission found that censorship existed though it was applied largely through indirect means. The Government in June approved, but has not yet enforced, the reintroduction of state-controlled regulation of the media through the Sri Lanka Press Council, and in August, the President reportedly told Editors that the military was keen to censor the media.

A letter sent by the Ministry of Defence to media institutions in September requesting that "news gathered should be subjected to clarification and confirmation" has also been viewed as an attempt to impose censorship

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