Freedom of the press inSri Lanka is guaranteed by Article 14(1)(a) of theConstitution of Sri Lanka which gives every citizen "the freedom of speech and expression including publication".[1] But under some government's there was widespread suppression of the media, particularly those critical of those governments. Sri Lanka is ranked 146 out of 180 countries inReporters Without Borders'sPress Freedom Index for 2022
Freedom House has judged the Sri Lankan press to be Partly free.[2]
Although the constitution guarantees free speech it places significant limits on the exercise of this right.[3] Various laws and regulations, such as the Prevention of Terrorism Act 1979 brought in to deal withTamil militants, have been used by successive governments to suppress freedom of expression.[3] During theJVP insurgency of 1989 and theSri Lankan civil war, many journalists were killed, assaulted or went missing. 25 journalists were killed between 1999 and 2011.[4] Dozens fled abroad.
Much of the media in Sri Lanka is privately owned.[citation needed] Impunity for threats and violence against journalists and official censorship contributed to self-censorship by almost all media outlets.[5]
The civil war ended in May 2009 and there was an origin of a safe place for journalists, but attacks on the media have reduced but journalists continue to be harassed and intimidated.[3][6] In 2015, the new Government headed by UNP said that they will assure the Protection of freedom of Press, which had been reduced during the previousRajapaksa government.
Reporters Without Borders reported in 2010 that, "of the world's democratically-elected governments, Sri Lanka's is the one that respects press freedom least."[7]
Thevis Guruge, chairman of the state-ownedIndependent Television Network, was killed on 23 July 1989. His murder had been believed done byJanatha Vimukthi Peramuna.[8][9]
Premakeerthi de Alwis, a broadcaster for the state-ownedSri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, was dragged from his house inHomagama and killed on the night of 31 July 1989.[10] He was killed by Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna.[11]
On the morning of 18 February 1990Richard de Zoysa, a journalist for theInter Press Service, was abducted by armed men from his home inWelikadawatte,Colombo. He was found dead the next morning on Koralawella beach inMoratuwa – he had been shot in the head and throat and his jaw broken.[12] De Zoysa is believed to have been murdered bydeath squads set-up to kill JVP members and their supporters after exposing the killings of students by those death squads.[13][14]
Rohana Kumara, editor of theSatana newspaper, was shot dead in Pangiriwatte, Colombo on 7 September 1999.[15][16] The newspaper had been critical of the government and exposed personal and political scandals.[17] Kumara had been harassed by successive governments.[18] It is alleged that PresidentChandrika Kumaratunga shielded Kumara's murderers.[19]
Atputharajah Nadarajah, editor of theThinamurasu newspaper and EPDP Member of Parliament, was shot dead in Colombo on 2 November 1999.[20]Thinamurasu is a newspaper published by the EPDP, a government backed paramilitary group. Nadarajah had criticised the EPDP in the newspaper and supportedTamil militants.[21]
Indika Pathinivasan, a camera assistant forMaharaja Television Network, and Anura Priyantha a camera assistant for the state-ownedIndependent Television Network, were both killed by a suicide bombing at an election rally in Colombo on 18 December 1999.[22][23] The bombing was aimed at President Chandrika Kumaratunga and is believed to have been the work of the LTTE.[24][25]
Vasthian Anthony Mariyadas, a freelance radio reporter for the state-ownedSri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation, was shot dead outside St. Anthony's Church,Vavuniya on 31 December 1999.[26] Vavuniya was inside government controlled territory.
Mylvaganam Nimalrajan, a journalist for theVirakesari newspaper, was shot dead at his home inJaffna on 19 October 2000.[27][28] Nimalrajan was one of the first journalists to write about theChemmani mass graves and he exposed vote-rigging and intimidation by theEelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), a government backed paramilitary group, during the2000 parliamentary election.[29][30] Several EPDP members were arrested but no one has been brought to justice for Nimalrajan's murder due to interference by the government and the security forces.[31][32]
Aiyathurai Nadesan, a journalist for theVirakesari newspaper, was shot dead inBatticaloa on 31 May 2004.[33][34] Nadesan had written several articles criticising the government and paramilitary groups.[35][36] TheKaruna faction, a government backed paramilitary group, was blamed for Nadesan's murder.[37][38][39]
Balanadarajah Iyer (aka Sinna Bala), who was on the editorial board of theThinamurasu newspaper, was shot dead inWellawatte, Colombo on 16 August 2004.[40]Thinamurasu is a newspaper published by the EPDP, a government backed paramilitary group. It and its journalists had been attacked by the rebelLiberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on several occasions.[41] Iyer had criticised the LTTE's human rights abuses and had been threatened by the LTTE before his murder.[42] The EPDP and others have blamed the LTTE for Iyer's murder.[43][44]
Lanka Jayasundara, a photographer for Wijeya Publications, was killed by a grenade attack at a music concert in Colombo on 11 December 2004.[45][46] TheTemptation 2004 concert had been heavily criticised by Sinhala nationalists because they claimed it fell on the first anniversary of the death ofBuddhist monkGangodawila Soma Thero.[47][48] The Sinhala nationalists, including members of the nationalistJathika Hela Urumaya, launched a protest against the concert and much of their anger was aimed at individuals attending the concert.[49][50]
On the night of 28 April 2005Taraki Sivaram, an editor for theTamilNet news website, was abducted by four men in a white van in front of a restaurant metres fromBambalapitiya police station, Colombo.[51][52] He was found dead the next morning in Himbulala inside a High Security Zone near theParliament – he had been shot and beaten.[53][54] Sivaram was a Tamil nationalist. He had also been critical ofColonel Karuna Amman's split from the LTTE.[55] In 2000 a shadowy organisation had issued threats against Sivaram and other journalists, calling them traitors and spies.[56] He had been branded a "terrorist journalist" by the nationalist Jathika Hela Urumaya.[57] Sivaram's house had been raided by the police several times and pro-government media had accused him of being a spy for the LTTE.[58][59] Sivaram had feared for his life, saying "My life is in serious danger".[60] According to journalist D. B. S. Jeyaraj, Colonel Karuna may have personally murdered Sivaram.[61] Arumugam Sri Skandharaja (aka Peter), member ofPeople's Liberation Organisation of Tamil Eelam (PLOTE), a government backed paramilitary group, was arrested but the case against him was dropped.[62] The case against Sri Skandharaja was later restarted and is currently postponed.[63]
Relangi Selvarajah, a freelance journalist working for the state-ownedSri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, and her husband Sinnadurai were shot dead in Bambalapitiya, Colombo on 12 August 2005.[64][65] Relangi had hosted and produced programmes critical of the rebel LTTE at the behest of the EPDP, a government backed paramilitary group.[66] She had been criticised by the LTTE several times for producing anti-LTTE programmes.[67] Her husband was thought to have links with PLOTE, another government backed paramilitary group.[68] The LTTE has been blamed for Relangi's murder.[69]
Subramaniyam Sugirdharajan (Sugitharajah), a journalist for theSudar Oli newspaper, was shot dead inTrincomalee near governor's secretariat on 24 January 2006.[70] Sugirdharajan had provided photographic evidence to the media of themurder of five students by Sri Lankan security forces.[71][72][73] The day before his death Sugirdharajan had written an article in theSudar Oli exposing abuses committed by the EPDP, a government backed paramilitary group, in the Trincomalee area.[74]
Suresh Kumar (B. G. Sahayathasan) and Ranjith Kumar, two employees of theUthayan newspaper, were killed on 2 May 2006 when armed men burst into the newspaper's offices and opened fire indiscriminately.[75][76][77] The attack followed the newspaper publishing a cartoon mockingDouglas Devananda, the leader of the EPDP, a government backed paramilitary group.
On the night of 1 July 2006Sampath Lakmal de Silva, a freelance journalist working forSathdina, received a telephone call at his parents' home inBoralesgamuwa, Colombo from a person called "Kumara" (believed to be Army Corporals Warnakumara and Wijeyakumara).[78] After leaving home he was abducted and the next day he was found dead inDehiwela – he had been shot three times in the head and once in the chest.[79][80][81] De Silva had written several articles critical of all sides, including corruption in themilitary intelligence unit and financial irregularities and internal disputes in the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna and Jathika Hela Urumaya.[82][83] De Silva was also believed to be in possession of information linkingpolice officers to several murders in Colombo andAvissawella.[84] According to Srilal Priyantha, deputy editor ofSathdina, de Silva had been abducted and tortured by army personnel in October 2005 after he had written an article about the financial corruption of the military intelligence unit.[83] Several people, including military personnel, were questioned about de Silva's murder but no action was taken against them.[85]
S. Sivamaharajah, publisher of theNamathu Eelanadu newspaper, was shot dead at his house inTellippalai on 20 August 2006.[86][87]Namathu Eelanadu was considered to be pro-LTTE and Sivamaharajah was a member of theTamil National Alliance, a political alliance with links to the LTTE.[88][89] Sivamaharajah's house was inside the Valikamam North High Security Zone controlled by theSri Lankan military and there was acurfew at the time of the murder.[90]
Chandrabose Suthaharan (Subash Chandraboas), editor of theNilam magazine, was shot dead at his home in Thirunavatkulam near Vavuniya on 16 April 2007.[91] His home was inside government controlled territory and his murderers spoke both Tamil and Sinhala.[92][93]
Selvarajah Rajivarnam, a journalist for theUthayan newspaper, was shot dead in Jaffna close to a military checkpoint on 29 April 2007.[94][95][96] The EPDP, a government backed paramilitary group, was blamed for Rajivarnam's murder.[97]
Sahadevan Nilakshan (Sahathevan Deluxshan), editor of the student-runChaalaram magazine, was shot dead outside his house inKokkuvil on 1 August 2007.[98] The killing occurred inside an area controlled by the Sri Lankan military and there was a curfew at the time of the murder.
Isaivizhi Chempiyan (Subajini), a broadcaster on theVoice of Tigers radio station, and technicians Suresh Linbiyo and T. Tharmalingam were killed when theSri Lanka Air Force dropped dozens of bombs on the station in Thiruvaiaru nearKilinochchi on 27 November 2007.[99][100] The bombing occurred shortly before the station was to broadcast LTTE leaderVelupillai Prabhakaran's annual policy address.[101]
P. Devakumaran, a journalist forNews First, was hacked to death in Navanthurai near Jaffna on 28 May 2008.[102][103] Devakumaran is believed to have been murdered by the LTTE after criticising the LTTE in his reports.[104]
Rashmi Mohamed, a journalist forSirasa TV, was killed by a suicide bombing at the opening of a newUnited National Party office inAnuradhapura on 6 October 2008.[105][106] The bombing was aimed at Major GeneralJanaka Perera and it was a work of the LTTE.[107]
Lasantha Wickrematunge, editor ofThe Sunday Leader newspaper was shot dead on 8 January 2009 in Colombo.[108][109] Three days later an editorial appeared inThe Sunday Leader written by Wickrematunge before his death in which he predicted his own murder, stating "it will be the government that kills me".[110] Wickrematunge and his newspaper had been highly critical of the government and he had been attacked before.[111][112] He had been assaulted twice before and his house had been sprayed with machine-gun fire.[113] A number of people including seventeen army personnel were arrested in relation to Wickrematunge's murder but later released.[114] To date no one has been brought to justice for Wickrematunge's murder.[115]
Sri Lanka's score (index) and rank in the annual Press Freedom Index produced byReporters Without Borders:
| Year | Index | Rank |
|---|---|---|
| 2002[116] | 15.75 | 51 |
| 2003[117] | 24.83 | 89 |
| 2004[118] | 36.50 | 109 |
| 2005[119] | 33.25 | 115 |
| 2006[120] | 50.75 | 141 |
| 2007[121] | 67.50 | 156 |
| 2008[122] | 78.00 | 165 |
| 2009[123] | 75.00 | 162 |
| 2010[124] | 62.50 | 158 |
| 2011/12[125] | 87.50 | 163 |
| 2013[126] | 56.59 | 162 |
| 2014[127] | 59.13 | 165 |
| Sovereign states |
|
|---|---|
| States with limited recognition | |
| Dependencies and other territories | |
