Sri Lanka

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its affiliates Free Media Movement (FMM) and Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) have condemned the death threats issued to some of the journalists who participated in the concluding ceremony of journalism training on October 15 in capital Colombo. The training was organised by Transparency International Sri Lanka and a number of...

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has joined IFJ affiliate Free Media Movement (FMM) Sri Lanka in condemning a series of assaults on journalists in Uva and the North provinces in recent days. Chandana Kuruppuarachchi, a journalist with Sirasa TV and MTV Sports, and Palitha Ariyawansa, a correspondent of Lakadeepa newspaper were assaulted on Monday, September 22 when the cadres of...

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joined its affiliates Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) and Free Media Movement (FMM) in condemning the attack on a TV journalist while covering a clash between political forces at Hali-Ela of Badulla district, Uva province on Monday evening, September 22. Chandana Karuppuarachchi, a News1st TV correspondent, was attacked while he...

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the South Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN) join the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) in strongly condemning the death threats issued to Sunil Jayasekara, the convenor of Free Media Movement (FMM) over recent days. The IFJ has also questioned the role of government agencies in sabotaging a media workshop in Colombo during...

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins Sri Lankan affiliate the Free Media Movement (FMM) in expressing concerns over recent incidents where security forces have openly obstructed the freedom of Sri Lanka’s media. According to reports, high-ranking police officers warned journalists against filming a public event involving Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa at Mout Lavinia...

The International Press Institute (IPI) has expressed concern at press freedom restrictions imposed by the Sri Lankan government, in particular the blockage of the Colombo Telegraph and other news websites in Sri Lanka. “Sri Lanka must ensure that the website of the Colombo Telegraph and other news websites are not blocked in the country, as this represents an unacceptable form of pre...

Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa made a threat in a phone call to the chairman of The Sunday Leader, Lal Wickrematunge, on July 19 because of an article reporting that China had given the president and his son, parliamentarian Namal Rajapaksa, money to be used “at their discretion.” “We are extremely shocked that the president personally phones journalists in order to threaten them.” Paris...

A savage attack was carried out July 29 on Gnanasundaram Kuhanathan, 59, the editor of the Tamil-language daily Uthayan, who was beaten by unidentified men with iron bars in the northern city of Jaffna. He was rushed to hospital, where he was in a critical condition with serious head injuries and still unconscious. “We demand a rapid and thorough investigation into this appalling crime,” Paris...

Video footage of a Tamil journalist apparently executed in the final stages of Sri Lanka's bloody civil war underscores the need for an urgent international inquiry, the Committee to Protect Journalists said today. The UK's Channel 4 has screened amateur footage of the body of Tamil news presenter Shoba, indicating that she was shot and killed during the government's final military surge in the...

It has been exactly 500 days since Sri Lankan journalist Prageeth Eknelygoda disappeared. He has not been seen by his wife Sandhya Eknelygoda or by the couple's two teenage sons, Sanjay and Harith, since he left for work around 7:30 a.m., on the morning of January 24, 2010. Sandhya filed a complaint with the local police office at 11:30 a.m. the next day but so far no government official has given...