New York, September 5, 2000 — The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) condemns the sentencing today of Lasantha Wickrematunga, editor of the English-language weekly newspaper The Sunday Leader, on charges of criminally defaming President Chandrika Kumaratunga. A judge from Colombo’s High Court sentenced Wickrematunga to two years in jail, but suspended the sentence for five…
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is dismayed by recent indications that censorship regulations are still fully in force in Sri Lanka, despite earlier assurances by the media minister that these restrictions would be lifted by mid-August, well in advance of the upcoming parliamentary elections. CPJ believes that it is impossible to hold free and fair elections in a country where media are subject to censorship regulations.
Your Excellency: The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) is deeply disturbed by the August 26 bombing attack on the offices of two publications in Imphal, Manipur. The attack comes just one week after newspaper editor Thounaojam Brajamani Singh was assassinated on the streets of Imphal.
Click here to read more about press freedom conditions in the PHILIPPINES New York, August 16, 2000 — Three French journalists kidnapped by Islamic separatist rebels on the southern Philippine island of Jolo may be released tomorrow (August 17) along with the remaining hostages, chief government negotiator Roberto Aventajado told The Associated Press today.
Click here to read more about press freedom conditions in the PHILIPPINES New York, July 31, 2000 — Citing security concerns, foreign news agencies pulled out their teams yesterday from the southern Philippine island of Jolo, where 16 journalists have been kidnapped over the past two months by various factions of the militant Islamic rebel…