Journalist arrested on contempt of court charges
Networking for Rights (NfR) expresses it serious concern that Lanka-e-News journalists Shantha Wijesuriya has been arrested and remanded on contempt of court charges. He was arrested by Kiridiwela police on 25th April and has been remanded till 28th April.
Lanka-e-News web site has been facing unending of attacks, threats and intimidations since the presidential election of January 2010. Soon after the election the site was temporarily blocked by the authorities. Its editor was constantly threatened with death forcing him to leave the country. On 31st January 2011 the rented premises came under arson attack forcing them to share a office with NGO linked to an opposition political party. On 31st March 2011 its news editor was arrested on fabricated charges. Reporters of the website were intimidated and followed. Lawyers who appear for the News editor received threats.
On 22nd April Pugoda Magistrate Aravinda Perera directed the Police to arrest and produce the Editor of Lanka e-News website before the courts on alleged charges of publishing a false news item regarding a case being heard at the court. Journalist Shantha Wijesuriya was arrested even after the web site published an unconditional apology for publishing the news item in question.
NfR express its fear that arrest of journalist Shantha Wijesuriya will further shrink the space for critical opinion in Sri Lanka strengthening the prevalent self censorship among media patricians in Sri Lanka.
At the same time NfR hope that considering that the website has already published a complete apology, the court will release Mr. Shantha Wijesuriya on 28th April 2011.
Issued by
Steering Committee, NfR Sri Lanka
Steering committee : Kshama Ranawana ( Canada) Lionel Bopage ( Australia), Nadarasa Sarawanan (Norway), Nadarajah Kuruparan(UK) Padmi Liyanage (Germany), Raveendran Pradeepan (France), Rudhramoorthy Cheran (Canada), Saman Wagaarachchi ( USA), Sunanda Deshapriya ( Switzerland)
NfR statement 26 April 2011 Journalist arrested on contempt of court charges.pdf
Diplomatic Engagement -not street demos
| Sri Lanka Brief Weekly Update 02 – Monday 25 April 2011 | |
| TIME Magazine Axes MR
Sunday Leader that acting on instructions, votes for President Rajapaksa were polled a couple of hundred times from a single computer. This was then repeated from other computers too. Read More 0r http://www.srilankabrief.org/2011/04/time-magazine-axes-mr.html#more . |
|
| ‘Allegations against LTTE Must also be investigated’ – Fr.Emmanuel of GTF
Justice demands that. We must find the whole truth, not just one side. It is wrong for the government to react from the one side, they must think of the Tamil side too. The LTTE too must be investigated ad ReMore or http://www.srilankabrief.org/2011/04/allegations-against-ltte-must-also-be.html#more |
|
| Diplomatic Engagement -not street demos
It is a pity that some organisations and individuals declined to give evidence before the LLRC. By doing so, they have made the same mistake that the Government made in not engaging with the UNSG’s panel. We need therefore to make a constructive response to the report and go ahead with the implementation of those of its recommendations which, in any case, are necessary to ensure good governance and the rule of law in our country’ READ MORE 0r http://www.srilankabrief.org/2011/04/diplomatic-engagement-not-street-demos.html# |
|
| UN Panel report: Much at stake for Sri Lanka
* Banging Ban Ki-moon as Bakamoona may not be the best course as diplomatic blunders contributed to this crisis * Russia and China will go thus far and no further for Lanka, while India may take neutral stand ‘Manufacturers’ are busy turning out scores of effigies of United Nations Secretary General Ban Ki-moon. Some are depicting him as a ‘bakamoona’ punning on his name. Placards decrying him and his organisation are coming off in hundreds at printing presses. Read More or http://www.srilankabrief.org/2011/04/un-panel-report-much-at-stake-for-sri.html#more |
|
| Read more on the raging debate on UNSG’s Panel report at
Sri Lanka: Cry From The Graves? – Analysis at http://www.srilankabrief.org/2011/04/sri-lanka-cry-from-graves-analysis.html The Darusman (UN) Report was inevitable due to colossal failure by the Rajapaksas at http://www.srilankabrief.org/2011/04/darusman-un-report-was-inevitable-due.html |
|
| Subscribe: Send an email with the subject line ‘SUBSCRIBE’ to srilankabrief.
Unsubscribe: Send an email with the subject line ‘UNSUBSCRIBE’ to srilankabrief |
UN panel admits international failure in Vanni war, calls for investigations
| Sri Lanka Brief Weekly Update 02 – Monday 18 April 2011 | |
| The leaked UN war crimes report: Key points and context
Groundviews flags below some highlights of this damning report, and places it alongside some other news article for context. Follow our tweets on this breaking story here. http://www.srilankabrief.org/2011/04/leaked-un-war-crimes-report-key-points.html#more |
|
| Sri Lanka leader urges protests against UN report
Sri Lanka’s president has called for mass protests against a UN report which urged a probe into alleged war crimes committed during the fight against Tamil Tiger rebels,.. President Mahinda Rajapakse said ..that this year’s May Day rally should be turned into a "show of our strength" against international calls for war crimes investigations http://www.srilankabrief.org/2011/04/sri-lanka-leader-urges-protests-against.html#more |
|
| Boyle reacts to UN report: "Creating Tamil Eelam, the only remedy"
"there is absolutely no way the GOSL is going to implement any of them [panel's recommendations], and the GOSL has already rejected all of them…. Therefore, under these circumstances…….., the only effective remedy the Tamil People now have is to create the State of Tamil Eelam and move to have the International Community recognize it." http://www.srilankabrief.org/2011/04/boyle-reacts-to-un-report-creating.html#more |
|
| Forced to seek protection from Russia, China: Gotabaya Rajapaksha
Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa yesterday lashed out at the UN experts panel report ..and ..saying there was an agenda behind the report and if the United Nations cannot protect one of its member states, Sri Lanka will be forced to look for protection from Russia and China http://www.srilankabrief.org/2011/04/forced-to-seek-protection-from-russia.html#more |
|
| UN panel admits international failure in Vanni war, calls for investigations
"During the final stages of the war, the United Nations political organs and bodies failed to take actions that might have protected civilians," The Secretary-General should conduct a comprehensive review of actions by the United Nations system during the war in Sri Lanka and the aftermath, regarding the implementation of its humanitarian and protection mandates, said the report. http://www.srilankabrief.org/2011/04/un-panel-admits-international-failure.html#more |
|
| Subscribe: Send an email with the subject line ‘SUBSCRIBE’ to srilankabrief.
Unsubscribe: Send an email with the subject line ‘UNSUBSCRIBE’ to srilankabrief |
NEWS 
leave a comment