MEDIA FREEDOM IN SRI LANKA

Hansani Sampath1sampath

FREEDOM OF THE MEDIA ??? Freedom of the media  or freedom of the

press is the freedom of communication and expression through mediums including various electronic media and published materials.

(While such freedom mostly implies the absence of interference from an overreaching state, its preservation may be sought through constitutional or other legal protections.)

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Article 19 of UDHR

Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes freedom to hold opinions without interference and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas through any media and regardless of frontiers

WHHAT IS MEDIA FREEDOM

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR) is a declaration adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 10 December 1948 at the Palais de Chaillot, Paris. 3sampath

2013 World Press Freedom Index

RANK COUNTRY

82 Bhutan

103 Maldives

118 Nepal

128 Afghanistan

140 India

144 Bangladesh

159 Pakistan

162 Sri Lanka

South Asia Press Freedom

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Sri Lanka's score (index) and rank in the annual Press Freedom

Year Index Rank

2002 15.75 51

2003 24.83 89

2004 36.50 109

2005 33.25 115

2006 50.75 141

2007 67.50 156

2008 78.00 165

2009 75.00 162

2010 62.50 158

2011/12 87.50 163

2013 56.59 162

2014 59.13 165

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Number of Daily Newspapers: 12

Total Circulation: 536,000Circulation per 1,000: 38Number of Nondaily Newspapers: 36

Total Circulation: 1,322,000Circulation per 1,000: 94As % of All Ad Expenditures: 27.40

Number of Television Stations: 21

Number of Television Sets: 1,530,000Television Sets per 1,000: 78.8Number of Cable Subscribers: 5,820

Cable Subscribers per 1,000: 0.3

Number of Radio Stations: 72

Number of Radio Receivers: 3,850,000Radio Receivers per 1,000: 198.4Number of Individuals with Computers: 135,000

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Sri Lankan media are available in English, Sinhala and Tamil across various platforms.

There are over a dozen newspapers, around three dozen TV channels and more than 40 radio stations.

The state media have a strong presence across all media platforms.

The Sri Lankan press traces its origins to the second quarter of the nineteenth century. The first paper, the Colombo Journal, was started at the insistence of the colonial governor on 1 January 1832 and within two years it was closed for being critical of the government.

The first Tamil paper was started a decade later in Jaffna by the Christian missionaries. The paper named Udaya Tharakai (Morning Star) was published by the American Missionary press from 1841

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Pre Conflict period 1948- 1983

Conflict period 1983-2009

Post conflict period after 2009-

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Pre Conflict period

Sri Lanka was the first country in Asia to start radio transmissions. Experimental transmissions started in 1923 and the first radio station, Colombo Radio, was launched on 16th December 1925.

It is now known as the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation. Until 1984, radio was a government monopoly.

Sri Lanka's first TV channel was started by private individuals in 1979.

It was acquired by the government within six months.

Government monopoly

70s-80s –Youth Struggle

The constitution provides for freedom of expression

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Conflict PeriodThreats and intimidation

Self-censorship

Religion and ethnicity key issues- Ethnic discrimination in the vernacular media has been on the rise. Religious rights of minorities, including practicing religious .The religious division become a powerful political tool in the country

Journalists were not allowed to participate in two investigative journalism training workshops and a cyber security training

Few papers run critical stories

Tamil Tigers ran their own radio and TV stations in northern Sri Lanka and a formidable media network overseas.

Private channels started operating from 1992.Many private TV channels have now emerged, but not all of them carry news bulletins.

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K NavaratnamJournalist - Eelanadu

Wimal SurendraJournalist - Island

Sathasivam Sivashanmugamoorthy (Sundaram) Journalist - Island

Shot dead (1982) Shot dead (1981)

Shot dead (1981)

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Rajinee ThiranagamaWriter & Free lance journalist

Sagarika GomezJournalist - SLRC, Singer & Actress

Shot dead (1989) Kidnapped and murdered (1989)

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Premakeerthi de AlwisJournalist - SLBC & Lyricist

Thevis GurugeDirector General - SLBC & Competent Authority - Media

Shot dead (1989) Shot dead (1989)

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Richard de Zoysahe worked for the Inter Press Service was the first journalist in Sri Lanka to be abducted and killed in February 1990

Journalist - Sri Lankan Rupavahini Corporation

Kidnapped, tortured, assassinated & thrown in the sea (1990)

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Rohana KumaraChief editor – Satana

Atputharajah Nadaraja (Ramesh)Chief editor – Thinamurasu

Rohana’s widow,Charitha, received bribery offers & death threats demanding not to publish Rohana’s articles. Presidential Security Division implicated

Shot dead (1999) Shot dead (1999)

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Aiyathurai (Nellai) NadesanJournalist - Virakesari &

Vice-President Journalists’ Union in the East

Mylvahanam NimalarajanJournalist - BBC, Virakesari, Ravaya & Suriyan FM

Shot and wounded along with his parents and relativesLater succumbed to injuries (2000)Shot dead (2004)

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Dharmeratnam SivaramEditor - TamilNet, Journalist, Daily Mirror, Virakesari and Island

Abducted, assaulted, shot dead & his body thrown near the Parliamentary Complex (2005)

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Subramaniyam SugirdharajanJournalist – Sudar Oli, who reported the shooting to death of five students

in the proximity of the Navy camp - Trincomalee

Shot dead in the High Security Zone (2006)

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Sampath Lakmal de SilvaFreelance Journalist

Parameswaree MaunasamiJournalist - Mawbima and Suriyan FM

Abducted and shot dead (2006)Abducted, detained, threatened and released due to

International pressure (2006)

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Subash ChandraboseEditor – Nilam

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Subramaniam RamachandiranJournalsit - Yaal Thinakkural & Vaalampuri

Shot dead (2007) Kidnapped & Made to Disappear (2007)

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Selvarajah RajivarnamJournalist – Uthayan

Shot dead (2007)

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Paranirupasingham Devakumar Reporter - Sirasa, Shakthi & MTV

Hacked to death (2008)

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Jayaprakash Sittampalam Tissainayagam Editor - news Web site Outreach SL, North Eastern Monthly, Sunday Times

Detained & charged for writing articles critical of the government (2008)Prisoner of conscience

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Keith NoyahrDeputy Editor - The Nation

Namal PereraDeputy Head - The Sri Lanka Press Institute

hours before his abduction

Abducted & severely assaulted (2009) Attacked with iron bars (2008)

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Lasantha WickrematungeEditor - Sunday Leader and

Winner - UNESCO World Press Freedom Prize 2009

Assassinated in January 2009

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Nadesapillai VidyarthanChief Editor - Sudar Oli & Uthayan

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Leader Printing PressAbducted, severely beaten, detained &

released due to International pressure (2009)Set on fire (2009)

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After war

Rajapakshe government committed censorship of journalists.

Banned most website through Telecommunication Regulation Commission (TRC)

They appointed competent authority

In March 2013, Mahinda’s government disrupted the BBC Tamil Service.

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January 2010 disappearance of cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda, have not been adequately investigated

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New Government

New government has ordered the Telecommunication Regulation Commission (TRC) to lift a ban on all news websites blocked under president’s predecessor.

Exiled dissidents journalists asked to return home

Reopening of investigations into the murder

ARTICLE 19 has welcomed the new government’s commitment to creating a long awaited right to information law.

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ARTICLE 19 welcomes the proposed inclusion of a right to information provision as the Sri Lankan Parliament amends the country’s Constitution. However, we urge Parliament to make sure that constitutional rights are available to all, not just citizens.“It’s encouraging that the Sri Lankan government is serious about protecting the right to freedom of information and is joining the other countries of South Asia in having a full constitutional provision. However, the proposed provision only protects this right for citizens, so we urge the government to change the proposal to ensure that the right is available to all,”

Thomas Hughes, ARTICLE 19 Executive Director.

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The proposed amendment creates a new article (Article 14A of the Constitution) which states: ‘every citizen shall have the right of access to any information’. It goes on to say that for any organization to be able to request information, over three-quarters of its members must be citizens. This provision unnecessarily restricts the right to information to those people with citizenship of Sri Lanka.The Constitution also currently limits the rights to freedom of expression, assembly, association and belief so that they are only protected for its citizens. However, freedom of expression and the right to information are fundamental rights for all

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Key Challenges to Media Freedom in Sri lanka

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Legal background The constitution provides for freedom of expression, but it and other laws and

regulations place significant limits on the exercise of this right. The 1979 Prevention of Terrorism Act contains extremely broad restrictions, such as a prohibition on bringing the government into contempt

The 1973 Press Council Act, which prohibits disclosure of certain fiscal, defense, and security information, it was revived in 2009

In July 2012, the government announced its intention to extend the act’s application to electronic and web-based media, and to introduce registration fees

Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited Law No 28 of 1973

Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation Act No 37 of 1966 (SLBC Act)

Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation Act No 6 of 1982

Sri Lanka Press Council Law No 5 of 1973 Official Secrets Act No 32 of 1955

Public Security Ordinance No 25 of 1947

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Direct censorship: pre and post publication censor, list of banned subjects, official request, pulling programme off the air, jamming.

Indirect censorship through: ownership, advertising, license regulation, broadcasting commission

Self-censorship

CENSORSHIP

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Journalists working in conflict and provinces are the most vulnerable

Journalists who cover cases of corruption have been targeted.

Culture of impunity: lack of commitment of the government and the police to solve cases of violence against media and killings of journalists.

ATTACKS & KILLINGS

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Other Challenges

Lack of Access to Information Commercialization of the media

Professionalism of the media

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Sri Lankan Prime Minister Ranil Wickramasinghe on February 18 ordered the release of copies of the Frontline magazine detained at the Colombo airport in January, which republished a 1987 interview with slain LTTE leader Velupillai Prabakaran, along with other interviews and articles from its archives in a special edition of the magazine marking its 30th anniversary.

The interview with Prabakaran would not create any threat to national security.

conclusion

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