… journalists at greater risk.
Women journalists at the SAMSN meeting have
reported increasing threats and attacks, particularly in Afghanistan,
Bangladesh, Nepal and SriLanka. SAMSN demands impartial and speedy
investigation and swift prosecution of the guilty in all cases where women
journalists have been killed, attacked and intimidated. Both…
… press
freedom activist, who has been honoured with the Sepala Gunasena Award for
Press Freedom.For many years Seetha Ranjanee has been associated
with IFJ's affiliate in SriLanka, the Free Media Movement (FMM). She has
served several terms in the key positions of Convenor and Secretary of the FMM.
At the moment she is a member of the executive…
… Journalists’ Association (MJA)
in its effort to ensure passage of a working journalists’ act before the
current term of its national parliament expires.
Partners
in SriLanka are now engaged in a campaign to secure an upward revision of the
minimum wages prescribed for journalists. SAMSN fully endorses this campaign
and calls for necessary…
… violence continue being used to silence journalists
engaged in reporting in the public interest.
In
countries that have just emerged from years of conflict, such as SriLanka and
Nepal, processes of national reconciliation have been halting and hesitant and
journalists who dare to speak up for justice and human rights face numerous
hazards. In…
…
Media Release: SriLanka
July 2, 2013
The International Federation of
Journalists congratulates the newly elected office bearers of SriLanka’s Free
Media Movement (FMM). The elected positions were announced at the 21st annual
general meeting of the FMM was held on May 28th 2013 at the Auditorium of the
SriLanka Press Institute…
…
Media release: SriLanka
June 14, 2013
The International Federation of Journalists
(IFJ) joins partners and affiliates in SriLanka in calling on the Government
of SriLanka (GoSL) to reconsider its move to introduce a code of ethics for the
country’s media.
Early in June, the Ministry of Mass Media and
Information in the GoSL…
… figures, journalists, actors, musicians and media
commentators have outlined their thoughts on press freedom in words, pictures
and sound for the online campaign.
SriLanka: The Free Media Movement and the SriLanka Press
Institute are hosting a a lecture by Mr.
Rohan Edrisinha Constitutional Adviser, UNDP in Nepal on ‘Freedom of Speech…
… remain relevant.
Physical
safety was sharply in focus as a priority in a region which remains one of the
most dangerous for journalists to operate in. In Nepal and SriLanka, violence
against journalists and the media has been a disturbingly recurrent phenomenon
over the past twelve months. Prolonged internal warfare, now formally declared…
… of Journalists, in collaboration with partners and affiliates released
situation reports on journalists’ rights and the state of media freedom in
Bangladesh and SriLanka. The information presented in the reports is the
result of extensive consultations between the IFJ and its partners, field
visits and interviews by IFJ personnel in the two…
…
The International Federation of Journalists
(IFJ) joins partners and affiliates in SriLanka in calling for closer attention
to be paid to media freedom issues in the post-war process of reconciliation in
the country. Consultations carried out by the IFJ and its affiliates with key
actors in the country suggest hopes that the end of SriLanka’s civil war…
… of conflict.
India,
Pakistan, the Philippines and Afghanistan are often ranked in the top ten
deadliest countries in the world for journalists with Nepal and SriLanka
ranking amongst the worst countries for impunity. Next month will mark the
third anniversary of the Maguindanao Massacre in the Philippines, when 32
journalists were among…
… Federation
of Independent Media Workers’ Unions, Indonesia
11. Federation of Nepalese Journalists
12. Free
Media Movement, SriLanka
13. Hong
Kong Journalists’ Association
14. Indian
Journalists’ Union
15. Maldives
Journalists’…
…
The International Federation of Journalists
(IFJ) is informed by partner organisations and affiliates in SriLanka of an
alarming decision by the Ministry of Mass Media and Information to levy a
registration fee on news websites and charge them an annual fee for renewal of
registration.
According to a press
release published on the website of…
…
The International Federation of Journalists
(IFJ) joins partner organisations in the South Asia Media Solidarity Network
(SAMSN) in calling on the SriLanka’s authorities to guarantee the safety of
journalist Shantha Priyadarshana Wijesooriya, target of an attempted abduction in
SriLanka’s capital, Colombo, on July 5, 2012.…
…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and its partners in the South
Asia Media Solidarity Network (SAMSN) strongly condemn the June 29 crackdown by
SriLanka’s police and security agencies, in which the offices of two web-based
news sites were raided and nine media workers arrested.
The
IFJ learns from SriLankan affiliates…
…
The International Federation of Journalists
(IFJ) joins its partner organisations in SriLanka in expressing disappointment
at yesterday’s decision by a three-member bench of SriLanka’s Supreme Court, to
decline leave to proceed in a case filed under the country’s fundamental rights
provisions against the blocking of certain…
… and the IFJ
believe that these struggles of South Asia’s journalists for decent wages and
working conditions have a wider resonance, most notably in SriLanka. In other
countries of the region – Afghanistan,
Bhutan and the Maldives –
media industries remain weakly institutionalised, though the enforcement of…
… theme: “Forum to Decriminalize Libel”. The events will
take place at Universities around the Philippines, including in Manila, Davao,
Cebu and General Santos.
SriLanka: An event has been organized to celebrate the World
Press Freedom Day 2012 by SriLanka Press Institute. The main objective of this
event is to hold a panel discussion…
… bad
situation in Pakistan far outweighed the slight improvements elsewhere.
Journalism was a hazardous pursuit through long years
of internal conflict in Nepal and SriLanka. And now with conflict at an end
and processes of political reconciliation underway, journalists are finding
that several of the passions of the years of open warfare are…
…
The International Federation
of Journalists (IFJ) joins partners and affiliates in condemning a campaign of
slander and vilification that has been launched against the leader of the SriLanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) through state-controlled media.
The IFJ learns from sources
in SriLanka that on March 22, the state-controlled ITN channel…
… and the barely concealed threats of reprisals that have been made against some of the country's leading journalists and human rights defenders by representatives of the SriLankan government and by state-owned media outlets.This follows the adoption of a resolution by the U.N. Human Rights Council (UNHRC) on March 22, in which the SriLankan…
…
The International Federation
of Journalists (IFJ) joins affiliates in SriLanka in sharply denouncing the
latest move towards news censorship in by the country’s authorities.
In a letter addressed to
various news and media organisations, the Media Centre for National Security
(MCNS) a body which operates under SriLanka’s Ministry of…
…
Journalists in SriLanka began
a campaign on January 25 in memory of colleagues who fell in the
quarter-century long civil war in the island nation. This day of protest united
all SriLanka’s principal professional journalism bodies and was planned as a reminder to those in
power that the vital task of national reconciliation requires more…
…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) has joined the ‘Black
January’ campaign against attacks on journalists in SriLanka, organized by the Alliance of
Media Organizations.
The month of January
2012, has been nominated as ‘Black January’ in SriLanka, by the Alliance of Media
Organizations and its supporters…
…
The
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) condemns the new registration
rules introduced by the Government of SriLanka (GoSL) for websites hosting any manner of content on the country, which has led
to the blocking of several websites for internet users in SriLanka.
These include Lanka News Web, SriLanka Mirror, SriLanka Guardian and Lanka…
…
The International Federation of Journalists
(IFJ) joins its SriLankan affiliates in condemning the continued blocking of
the news portal Lanka-e-News by internet service providers in SriLanka since
October 18.
According to information received from IFJ
affiliate the Free Media Movement (FMM), two major internet service providers
in SriLanka, the…
…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins its SriLankan
affiliates in expressing outrage at a brutal attack on Gnanasundaram
Kuhanathan, news editor of the Tamil daily Uthayan,
in the northern city of Jaffna
on July 29.
According to reports received from SriLanka,
Kuhanathan, 59, was left for dead after being attacked with iron rods…
…
The International Federation of
Journalists (IFJ) is dismayed to learn that a freedom of information law proposed
in SriLanka has been overwhelmingly
defeated by the government majority in the country’s parliament.
The Right to Information Bill,
presented by opposition United National
Party deputy leader Karu Jayasuriya on June 21, was defeated…
…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is concerned by reports that access to
independent news portals Groundviews and
Vikalpa was temporarily blocked on
SriLanka Telecom (SLT) ADSL on June
20.
The two news portals are among the
few openly critical media outlets in the country. The award-winning citizen
journalism portal Groundviews,…
… of the International Freedom of Expression Exchange in Beirut, Lebanon on May 30 and 31 has called upon the governments of China, Pakistan, the Philippines and SriLanka to take action to end press freedom violations in each country.
The letters are attached here as PDF documents, and can be viewed online at the IFEX…
…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
strongly condemns a court order today to suspend operations of Lanka-e-News in SriLanka.
The Pugoda Magistrate’s court ordered
the suspension of online news organisation Lanka-e-News until a contempt case against one
of its journalists, Shantha Wijesooriya, is concluded, the Lanka-e-News…
… (IFJ) joins
its affiliate the Free Media Movement (FMM)
in expressing concern over increased hostilities toward Tamil-language
newspaper Uthayan, based in Jaffna in SriLanka’s Northern Province.
The FMM reports that Jaffna Municipal Council has ordered
its officials not to invite Uthayan journalists
to cover official events or…
…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes
the release of editor Bennett Rupasinghe from detention in SriLanka but renews its call for authorities
to step up their investigation into the arson attack on his news outlet, Lanka-e-News.
In the Kaduwela Magistrates Court on April 7, Magistrate Jayaki de Alwis refused…
…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) renews its call for the immediate release of Lanka-e-News news editor Bennett Rupasinghe,
who was arrested in SriLanka on March 31.
Rupasinghe’s arrest follows an arson
attack on Lanka-e-News which destroyed the website’s
premises in Malabe, near Colombo,
on January 31.
The IFJ…
… to the FMM, Rupasinghe was
arrested by police after being summoned to Wellampitiya police station to
record a statement. He is also accused of withholding information from SriLankan officials. Rupasinghe’s lawyers told FMM that
they believe the police are turning him into a suspect of the arson attack for
political reasons.
“This…
… reports that a habeas corpus petition
submitted by the family of missing Lanka-e-News cartoonist and columnist Prageeth Eknaligoda will be considered by a court of
appeal in SriLanka on May 26.
Eknaligoda’s wife Sandhya filed
the petition with a Colombo
court in August 2010, after six hearings into the case of…
… President, International
Federation of Journalists, and Federal Secretary, Media, Entertainment &
Arts Alliance to the Lasantha Wickrematunge commemoration, Colombo, SriLanka, February 15, 2011.
These last few weeks have been
exhilarating for those of us who believe in democracy, human rights, freedom of
speech and the…
…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ)
strongly condemns an arson attack on the offices of LankaENews, a popular news portal
operating out of a suburb of the SriLankan
capital city of Colombo.
According
to information made available to the IFJ, a group of unidentified people broke
into the office of the news portal at about 2am on…
…
As protests
in SriLanka mark the
anniversaries of the murder of Sunday
Leader editor Lasantha Wickrematunge and disappearance of cartoonist
Prageeth Eknaligoda, the International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) demands that the Government of SriLanka
expedite investigations into these cases and immediately disclose any findings.
The Alliance
of…
… attack on journalists at the Bandaranaike
International
Airport at Katunayake near Colombo on December 7.
According to
information received from IFJ affiliate the SriLanka
Working Journalist Association (SLWJA), two journalists – Shanta Wijesuriya of
the news portal Lanka-e-News and
Prema Lal of Sirasa TV – were injured in the…
… this process of evaluation of past efforts in the
defence of press freedom in situations of conflict in five countries of South
Asia: Bangladesh, India, Nepal,
Pakistan and SriLanka.
Situations analysed cover the wide range of conflict situations encountered by
media practitioners in these countries and their efforts to collectively work
to establish…
… an enabling atmosphere
for brutality against journalists to take place and to go unpunished. But what
has happened in Maguindanao could equally happen in Mexico,
in SriLanka, in Afghanistan or in Iraq, or in many other countries
where political instability and the absence of the rule of law makes journalism
an easy target.
A month ago…
…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes
the awarding of an anti-corruption prize to SriLankan
journalist and press freedom activist Poddala Jayantha, who was forced into
exile after a brutal attack in June 2009.
Jayantha received corruption
watchdog Transparency International’s
Integrity Award on November 12 in…
… immediate disciplinary action to be taken after a group of police
officers allegedly assaulted a group of journalists covering a student protest.
IFJ affiliates the SriLankan Working Journalists’ Association (SLWJA) and
the Free Media Movement SriLanka
(FMM) reported that five journalists covering the Inter
University Students’…
… Printing, and Manufacturing Union,
New Zealand
Federation of
Independent Media Workers’ Unions, Indonesia
Free Media Movement,
SriLanka
Hong
Kong Journalists’ Association
Indian Journalists’ Union
Journalists’
Association of Korea
Maldives Journalists’
…
… Printing, and Manufacturing Union,
New Zealand
Federation of
Independent Media Workers’ Unions, Indonesia
Free Media Movement,
SriLanka
Hong
Kong Journalists’ Association
Indian Journalists’ Union
Journalists’
Association of Korea
Maldives Journalists’
…
… Printing, and Manufacturing Union,
New Zealand
Federation of Independent
Media Workers’ Unions, Indonesia
Free Media Movement,
SriLanka
Hong
Kong Journalists’ Association
Indian Journalists’ Union
Journalists’
Association of Korea
Maldives Journalists’
…
…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is
outraged at the arrest of the owner and staff of a print-shop in SriLanka
on the eve of an important constitutional amendment debate in the national
parliament.
According to
the Free Media Movement (FMM), an
IFJ affiliate, the arrests followed a police raid on the shop, Sarala Graphics,
in…
…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is outraged
at continuing threats against the wife of journalist Gamini Pushpakumara, in
exile from SriLanka
since April after being dismissed as a producer with the state-owned SriLanka
Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) in January.
“The IFJ
calls on the SriLankan authorities to identify those…
…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) welcomes the display of strength and unity by
colleagues of missing SriLankan
columnist and cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda at a protest and public meeting in
Colombo on
August 10.
A coalition of SriLankan press freedom groups – including IFJ
affiliates the Free Media Movement…
…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) extends its support to the protest planned for
August 10 by the Alliance of Media Organisations in SriLanka, to mark 200 days since
the disappearance of cartoonist and columnist Prageeth Eknaligoda.
The protest (or satyagraha) and a seminar will be held in Colombo to urge the authorities…
…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is
outraged at an arson attack on the Siyatha TV station and radio broadcast
facilities of the Voice of Asia Network in SriLanka
during the early hours of July 30.
According to
information from IFJ affiliates, the broadcaster’s offices in central Colombo were attacked by a
group of 12…
…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is deeply concerned that SriLanka’s Government proposes to
establish a body to examine the ethics of journalists, a move which stands to
further impede media independence in the country.
The Media Development Authority proposal
comes as SriLankan media personnel mark six months since the…
…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is alarmed
by threats made against the safety of the family of senior SriLankan journalist Gamini Pushpakumara.
“We call
upon the SriLankan police and
security agencies to take immediate measures to investigate the source of the
threats and to extend all necessary protection to…
…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is relieved that J.S. Tissainayagam
is safe, following more than two years of an ordeal in which the SriLankan Tamil journalist was accused, charged and
tried for terrorism for his journalistic reporting on human rights issues.
Tissainayagam has now left SriLanka, joining the growing ranks of Sri…
…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is
alarmed at reports of a home invasion and attempted abduction of Mawbima reporter Disnendra Perera at his Colombo
home in SriLanka on May 31.
According to local media
reports, Perera was not harmed in the incident. His mother, who was at home at
the time of the attack, has reportedly made an…
…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) urges SriLanka’s
Government to speed up its processing of a full and unconditional presidential
pardon for senior Tamil journalist J.S. Tissainayagam.
On May 3, World Press Freedom Day, SriLanka’s
Minister for External Affairs, G.L. Peiris, reportedly told a press conference
that…
…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is
awaiting details and verification that senior SriLankan journalist J.S. Tissainayagam will receive a full presidential
pardon for his conviction on charges of “causing communal
disharmony”.
The IFJ wishes
to verify that the reported pardon for Tissainayagam
is…
…
* Below is a letter sent by IFJ General Secretary Aidan White to SriLanka President Mahinda Rajapaksa on March 16, 2010*
His Excellency Mahinda Rajapaksa
President of SriLanka
‘Temple Trees’
Colombo 3
SriLanka
March
16, 2010
Your
Excellency,
RE: Urgent
Protection for Human Rights Campaigners and…
…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is
encouraged to learn that SriLanka’s Supreme Court has ordered an inquiry
into the alleged political victimisation and interdiction of eight media
workers in the state-run broadcaster, the SriLanka Rupavahini Corporation
(SLRC).
According to
IFJ affiliates in SriLanka,
a three-judge bench…
…
The International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) joins SriLanka’s
five leading organisations of journalists in calling for an immediate inquiry
into the illegal detainment of a senior Jaffna
journalist by supporters of SriLanka’s ruling coalition on February 27.
N. Parameswaran, Jaffna
correspondent for the Daily Mirror, Lankadeepa…
…
The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) appeals
to SriLanka’s President, Mahinda Rajapaksa, who has recently also assumed the
role of Media and Information Minister, to do all in his power to investigate
the disappearance of journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda and ensure his safe return to
his family.
The Lanka-e-News.com
online…
