SRI LANKA
JULY 26, 2005 Posted: August 9, 2005 Iqbal Athas, The Sunday Times THREATENED Speaking to a closed meeting of 1,000 top military and police officials in Colombo, President Chandrika Kumaratunga accused Athas of publishing sensitive information harmful to Sri Lanka’s national security, sources told local news reporters.
CPJ alarmed by Sri Lankan president’s comments against senior journalist
New York, August 3, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is alarmed by intimidating remarks made by President Chandrika Kumaratunga against senior defense correspondent Iqbal Athas last week. Speaking to a closed meeting of 1,000 top military and police officials in Colombo on July 26, the president accused Athas of publishing sensitive information harmful to Sri…
SRI LANKA
MAY 22, 2005 Posted: June 7, 2005 TBC Radio ATTACKED The offices of the London-based exiled Tamil news radio Tamil Broadcasting Corporation (TBC) were broken into and looted in the early morning hours, forcing the station to suspend programming, according to the station’s program director V. Ramaraj.
Journalists receive death threats as tensions rise
New York, May 12, 2005—Two journalists with the Sri Lankan press freedom organization Free Media Movement (FMM) received death threats on Tuesday at the group’s headquarters in the capital, Colombo. Several other journalists also said they are under threat in the wake of the abduction and murder of veteran Tamil journalist Dharmeratnam Sivaram late last…
SRI LANKA
MAY 10, 2005 Posted: May 17, 2005 Victor Ivan, Ravaya and Free Media Movement Sunanda Deshaprita, Free Media Movement THREATENED Two journalists with the Sri Lankan press freedom organization Free Media Movement (FMM) received death threats at the group’s headquarters in the capital, Colombo.
CPJ condemns murder of veteran Tamil journalist
New York, April 29, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns the brutal killing of leading Tamil journalist Dharmeratnam Sivaram, who was abducted yesterday and found dead this morning near the capital, Colombo, from gunshot wounds to the head. Four unidentified men forced Sivaram into a jeep at 10:30 last night as he left a restaurant…
Attacks on the Press 2004: Asia Analysis
Overviewby Abi Wright Threats to press freedom spiked throughout Asia in 2004, even as the news media claimed significant accomplishments. Across the region, 2004 was an election year, with citizens casting ballots in nations such as Afghanistan, whose landmark vote was peaceful and orderly, and India, where more than 370 million went to the polls.…
Attacks on the Press 2004: Sri Lanka
Sri Lanka The fragile cease-fire between the Sri Lankan government and the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) deteriorated in 2004, heightening tensions and challenges for the nation and its media. Even after a devastating tsunami in late December killed more than 30,000 people, the divisions held fast and hampered initial relief efforts. Tamil…