Article 19: 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
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How do we know what goes on the world? Through media, right? But, what happens when the media is not given access to situations, and thus are unable to report on the truth. The truth, not the sugar-coated truth, or a version of the truth, but the reality. Journalists writing about the wrongdoings of the Sri-Lankan Government are targeted. There is no press freedom in Sri-Lanka. Journalists, who report on the truth of the tyrannical Sri-Lankan Government, have been killed, detained, or suddenly vanished.
During last year’s massacre, independent journalists were banned from entering the ‘safe zone’ and reporting on the truth. Sri-Lanka is regarded as one of the most dangerous places in the world for journalists.
Reporters Without Borders have said in a statement: “By limiting media coverage to guided tours with the purpose of confirming military victories, the armed forces are preventing the press from doing its job…They are disregarding the public’s right to be informed in an independent manner.”
Independent activists say more than a dozen journalists have been killed in Sri-Lanka.
The government did not give a reason for banning reporters from covering the elections, but it routinely bars the media and others from the area, citing security reasons. (AP) If the Sri-Lankan Government has nothing to hide, why do they fear the press? Why do they fear the press? Because allowing the press to report on the truth, means exposing the massacres, and brutalities carried out by the Sri-Lankan Government and military.
Despite the heavy security and media ban, Channel 4 News, a London-based news agency was able to collect footage of executions of Tamil men, carried out by the Sri-Lankan military. This week, they have further reported that these executions were ordered by the top-officials – according to Sri-Lankan officers. But, because of their truthful reporting, they were ordered to leave by the Sri-Lankan Government.
Preventing Medias to do their job to report on the truth of events further illustrates that the Sri-Lankan Government has much to hide. Preventing media access to the safe zones and camps were thousands of Tamils were and are detained against their will, further creates an environment where atrocities can happen because there are no independent witnesses.
Freedom of expression by the press is a right, and the Sri-Lankan Government has not allowd for press freedom in Sri-Lanka during the genocidal onslaught in 2009.
Credits:
http://www.asiaone.com/News/Latest+News/Asia/Story/A1Story20091204-184030.html
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory?id=8264089
Tags: Speak Out
