Journalists in Sri Lanka protest over lack of media freedom

Jan 25, 2012, 11:59 GMT

Colombo - Rival groups of protesting journalists jockeyed for space in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo Wednesday, with one group decrying a lack of media freedom, while the second claimed the other had links to anti-government groups.

About 500 non-government journalists gathered to blame the state for suppressing media freedoms and demand a government investigation into a series of attacks upon reporters, including the assassination of a prominent newspaper editor.

'The government has been accusing us (journalist organizations) as sympathizers of the former rebels. That is not correct and they are trying mislead the people', Ganasiri Kottigoda, of the Free Media Movement, said.

But their protest was countered by a gathering of 2,000 pro-government supporters and media personnel from state-run television and newspapers, who argued that the smaller group was made up of journalists funded by foreign agencies sympathetic to the former Tamil rebels, who were defeated in a military crackdown in 2009.

In recent months, the government has banned at least five anti-government websites and directed that any websites carrying Sri Lankan news content should register with the Information Ministry in Colombo. The move has been criticized by local media groups.

The non-government journalists demanded the government disclose details on the progress of investigations carried out into the disappearance of a journalist and a series of other cases including attacks on media personnel and media institutions.

Government spokesman Minister Nimal Siriapala de Silva told state-run television that the government denies allegations that the country lacks media freedom.

The latest Press Freedom Index, maintained by Reporters Without Borders, showed that Sri Lanka's position dropped to 163 for the 2011-2012 period, down from 158 in 2010.