Forwarded Statement

ALERT – SRI LANKA 30 July 2008 FMM concerned over army commander’s justification of recent attacks against journalists SOURCE: Free Media Movement (FMM), Colombo (FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 29 July 2008 FMM press release: The Free Media Movement is deeply disturbed by remarks attributed to the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Lieutenant […]

CA SERIAL DISMISSALS OF AMPARO PETITIONS: ENCOURAGING THE ESCALATION OF EXTRA JUDICIAL KILLINGS AND ENFORCED DISAPPEARANCES The NUPL strongly criticizes the recent spate of decisions by the Court of Appeals dismissing amparo petitions which are indicative of a failure to comprehend the intent and nature of the new judicial remedy that initially brought a ray […]

Previously threatened journalist stalked SOURCE: Free Media Movement (FMM), Colombo (FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 22 July 2008 FMM press release 22 July 2008, Colombo, Sri Lanka – Sri Lanka’s five largest media organizations, including the Free Media Movement (FMM), are deeply disturbed to note that suspicious, unidentified groups of individuals have repeatedly followed […]

Government officials assault two “Daily Mirror” journalists, harass Sirasa TV journalist covering home demolitions (FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 19 July 2008 FMM press release: 19 July 2008, Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Free Media Movement (FMM) is extremely displeased to report the assault of two more journalists and the harassment of another by government […]

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) deplores a decision by a Sri Lanka court on June 30 to continue the detention without charge of journalist J.S. Tissainayagam and to reject his appeal to be transferred from the supervision of the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) into fiscal custody. Tissainayagam, editor of the OutreachSL.com news website, has […]

Dear friends, We wish to share with you the following statement from National Peace Council of Sri Lanka. Asian Human Rights Commission Hong Kong ————- A Statement from National Peace Council of Sri Lanka forwarded by the Asian Human Rights Commission SRI LANKA: Collateral damage will be to entire country’s detriment 01.07.08 Media Release The […]

The Free Media Movement (FMM) is shocked and outraged at the brutal assault of former TNL News Director and currently Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) employee Namal Perera and a friend this evening (Monday, 30th June 2008). Mr. Perera and his friend, Mr. Mahendra Ratnaweera, a Sri Lankan national working at the British High Commission […]

ALERT – SRI LANKA 27 June 2008 SOURCE: Free Media Movement (FMM), Colombo (FMM/IFEX) – The following is an FMM press release: State media level dangerous allegation Free Media Movement expresses serious concern that a state-controlled media outlet has levelled dangerous allegations against the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) without verifying the story with SLPI. […]

Today, 26 June, is a historical day for all mankind. Today, everyone around the world is commemorating theInternational Day in Support of Victims of Torture. On this day, everyone is coming together to support thevictims that have suffered a crime that is considered as common enemies of all mankind, which is called torture. Torture is, […]

ALERT – SRI LANKA 25 June 2008 Police recently labeled by government as “treacherous”; its editor continually threatened SOURCE: Free Media Movement (FMM), Colombo (FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 24 June 2008 FMM press release: Police question web media organization 23 June 2008, Colombo, Sri Lanka – The FMM is deeply disturbed to learn […]

I remember watching two movies where the word silence played an eerie role. One was the “Silent Scream,” the other, the “Silence of the Lambs.” In both movies, violence took place with the victims’ muffled pleas for help were an occurrence known only to them and their offenders. In the Silent Scream, the fetus squirms […]

SOURCE: Free Media Movement (FMM), Colombo (FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 12 June 2008 joint media release by FMM and four other organisations: Head of State Media calls for journalist’s death 12th June 2008, Colombo, Sri Lanka – Hudson Samarasinghe, recently appointed the chairperson of the state-controlled Sri Lanka Broadcasting Cooperation (SLBC), called for […]

FMM, independent media targets of slander campaign, incitement to violence by Defence Ministry SOURCE: Free Media Movement (FMM), Colombo 5 June 2008, Colombo, Sri Lanka – The Free Media Movement (FMM) is outraged at the recent statement by the Ministry of Defence that incites violence by claiming that the FMM and other independent media support […]

IFEX – News from the international freedom of expression community ALERT – SRI LANKA 2 June 2008 SOURCE: Free Media Movement (FMM), Colombo (FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 31 May 2008 FMM press release: Another journalist warned not to report matters related to defence The FMM has learned that Sirimevan Kasthuriarachchi, a senior defence […]

IFEX – News from the international freedom of expression community ALERT – SRI LANKA 2 June 2008 SOURCE: Free Media Movement (FMM), Colombo (FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 30 May 2008 FMM press release: The Free Media Movement expresses its grave concern that military personal have made an “unofficial” visit to the Sri Lanka […]

National Peace Council of Sri Lanka 12/14 Purana Vihara Road Colombo 6 Tel:  2818344, 2854127, 2819064 Tel/Fax:2819064 E Mail:  npc@sltnet.lk Internet:  www.peace-srilanka.org 30.05.08 Media Release CONTRADICTORY POSITIONS ON MEDIA FREEDOM ENCOURAGE IMPUNITY The silencing of journalists by killing and intimidating them has become a major problem in Sri Lanka. The National Peace Council condemns the killing of […]

IFEX – News from the international freedom of expression community ALERT – SRI LANKA 23 May 2008 Critical defence analyst, newspaper editor threatened, abducted, beaten, released SOURCE: Free Media Movement (FMM), Colombo (FMM/IFEX) – The following is an FMM press release: Senior journalist and Deputy 23 May 2008, Colombo, Sri Lanka – The Free Media […]

A forwarded statement by the Civil Monitoring Mission which appeared in the Sri Lanka Guardian GoSL lies to the UN Working Group by Mano Ganesan (May 21, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) 25 year old plantation Tamil youth Jayakanthan Ramaiah abducted on 19th March, 2007 at Kadawatha town on Colombo-Kandy highway from a public transport bus […]

NGO Coalition for an Effective Human Rights Council – www.hrw.org/effectiveHRC/SriLanka For Immediate Release Three Nobel Peace Laureates Oppose Colombo’s Bid for Re-election (New York, May 19, 2008) – Winners of the Nobel Peace Prize from three continents called on UN members to reject Sri Lanka’s candidacy for the UN Human Rights Council, the NGO Coalition for an […]

17th May 2008, Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Free Media Movement (FMM) registers its disquiet over the contents of a letter addressed to it by the Editor of the Lanka Dissent website, Indika Gamage on 16th May 2008. In it, Gamage alleges that the Lanka Dissent (LD) website (http://lankadissent.com) is a recent victim of cyber-crime in […]