18 October 2006

INTERNATIONAL MISSION FINDS DETERIORATING SECURITY SITUATION FOR MEDIA


A delegation representing the International Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression Mission found a "serious deterioration in the security situation" for the media during its 9 to 11 October 2006 fact-finding and advocacy mission in Sri Lanka.

The International Mission aimed to assess the current media situation in light of the escalation of fighting between the government and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE).

The delegation included two IFEX members - the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the International Press Institute (IPI) - along with International Media Support (IMS), the International News Safety Institute (INSI) and the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation (UNESCO).

The Free Media Movement (FMM) was among the groups hosting the delegation.

Other IFEX members involved in the International Mission are Reporters Without Borders (Reporters sans frontières, RSF), the World Association of Community Radio Broadcasters (AMARC), the World Association of Newspapers (WAN), and the World Press Freedom Committee (WPFC).

While the International Mission examined the situation of Sinhala- and English-language media, it paid particular attention to the repression of Tamil-language media, which it says have "come under heavy and sustained attack, especially in the areas affected by fighting."

As a result, the free flow of information in the north and east has been restricted.

The International Mission found evidence of threats, abductions and attacks committed by all parties in the conflict, particularly paramilitary and militia groups.

Eight media workers have been killed since 2005. The mission notes that censorship exists, although largely through indirect means. It adds that the "willingness of politicians and others to denounce the media reinforces self-censorship and makes the free expression of opinion a life-threatening activity."

The mission called on the government, security forces, LTTE, political parties and paramilitary and militia groups to implement several recommendations, including: immediately halting all threats, harassment, abductions and attacks against media workers and outlets; investigating the murders of media workers and death threats against them, with the aim of ending impunity for such acts; ending all interference in editorial independence; allowing media full and unhindered access to all areas of the country; and halting the practice of publicly vilifying media workers in a manner likely to endanger their lives and those of their families.

To read the full statement from the mission, visit: http://www.freemedia.at/Also visit these links:
- FMM: http://www.freemediasrilanka.org/- RSF: http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=17362- Human Rights Watch Backgrounder: http://www.hrw.org/backgrounder/asia/srilanka0906/- CPJ: http://www.cpj.org/attacks05/asia05/sri_05.html- IMS: http://www.i-m-s.dk

Sri Lanka

Newspaper employees receive death threats 1 July 2009 Government revives harsh press law 26 June 2009 Police interrogate two newspaper editors about their sources 25 June 2009 Journalists trying to cover fate of Tamils threatened, obstructed 2 June 2009 Another journalist attacked 1 June 2009

Asia and Pacific

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