Significant challenges to press freedom still remain in Sri Lanka: International media mission
Monday, 2 March 2015 00:00
-
- {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
Although there was no violence and there is an apparent reduction of threats against journalists in Sri Lanka after the 8 January election, significant challenges to press freedom are still remaining in Sri Lanka, an international media organisation said.
An international media mission to Sri Lanka representing international journalists organizations said Surveillance, monitoring and following of journalists are incompatible with a free media and the principles of open government that should underpin the 100 day reform process.
The international media mission, which represents the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), the International Press Institute and International Freedom of Expression Exchange, said the continued surveillance of journalists and media organisations in the north of Sri Lanka must cease.
The mission said all journalists acknowledged there have been no cases of over violence since the 8 January elections and that there has been an apparent reduction in threats, but significant challenges to press freedom remain.
These challenges include the self-censorship due to uncertainty about the political future of the country; restrictions on access to information; and continued surveillance and monitoring of journalists.
“Despite the welcome commitment to Right to Information legislation, there appears to have been tightening of bureaucratic processes that make access to information more difficult and can lead to significant misunderstandings,” the mission said.
Failure to address the impunity surrounding attacks on journalists is a significant concern.
The mission noted that since 2000, 12 media workers have been killed in the north and four are missing, presumed dead while no one has been held responsible for any of these deaths.
“As part of the reform process, it is essential that full and open investigations are held into all these cases,” the group urged.
The mission suggested that newspaper organisations also need to do more to recognise the role they can play in providing a safe and secure working environment.
All media organisations should commit to working together to provide necessary training to entrench professional journalism and the values of free media in the north, the international media mission urged.
The members of the international media mission were Christopher Warren from Australia, Scott Griffen from Austria and Siddharth Varadarajan from India. The mission is in Sri Lanka on the invitation of the Free Media Movement, which is also facilitating the visit.
