11 March 2003
IPI MISSION CHEERED BY PRESS-FREEDOM CONDITIONS
An International Press Institute (IPI) delegation, recently returned from Sri Lanka in February, is recommending removing the country from its Watch list after finding what it calls a "warm atmosphere of hope and progress on press freedom" in the country. The watch list monitors press freedom in democratic countries IPI considers to be in danger of sliding into repression.
In a recently released report, the IPI delegation, which included the director of the Commonwealth Press Union (CPU), said Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe's commitment to turn Sri Lanka "into a free media centre" was impressive, as was his government's moves to abolish criminal defamation and establish an independent press complaints commission.
In a meeting with the prime minister, the delegation said Wickremesinghe planned to implement further reforms by the end of this year, including the passage of a freedom-of-information act and the abolition of the state-run film censor, the Public Performance Board.
The prime minister also discussed the possibility of privatising state-owned media enterprises such as Lakehouse, a company once owned by Wickremesinghe's family. He has asked IPI and CPU to recommend proposals for privatising Lakehouse.
Read the IPI delegation's report: www.freemedia.at">http://www.freemedia.at/Sri_Lanka_Mission_Report.htm">www.freemedia.at
Visit these links:
- IPI Watch List Report on Sri Lanka: www.freemedia.at">http://www.freemedia.at/Srilankarticle.htm">www.freemedia.at
- Free Media Movement: www.ifj-asia.org">http://www.ifj-asia.org/Sri_Lanka___Media_Freedom.html">www.ifj-asia.org
- Commonwealth Press Union: www.cpu.org.uk">http://www.cpu.org.uk">www.cpu.org.uk
- Centre for Policy Alternatives' Media Monitoring Unit: www.cpalanka.org">http://www.cpalanka.org/media.html">www.cpalanka.org
- Sri Lanka's Draft Freedom-of-Information Bill: www.cpalanka.org/research_papers/Draft_FOI_Bill.doc
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