A report was published recently regarding the present plight of the media in Sri Lanka. This report was prepared by fifteen international organizations championing the cause of international press freedom and media development in collaboration with five of Sri Lanka media institutions.

The report embodies opinions expressed by a working committee that studied the prevailing situation in Sri Lanka in respect of Press Freedom and the Freedom of Expression in the country. A greater part of the Report deals with the situation that prevailed in the country during the later part of last year.

This committee comprising representatives of international institutions studied the workings of the English, Sinhala and Tamil media at that point of time and gathered facts through direct dialogue.

It had paid special attention to the problems faced by the Tamil media in areas affected by war and to the attacks, violence, pressure and threats to the Tamil media men. The report devotes in detail the problems of the Tamil media men.

The letter written by Jesper Kotchberg, the Working Director of the International Media Support, to Media Minister Anura Priyatharshana and Defence Spokesman Eheliya Rambukwella in the later part of last year appears as an annexure in the report.

At the outset, he had referred to the shortage of newsprint in the peninsula and that due to the shortage, the pages of many newspapers have dwindled from 20 to four. He further stated that it could result in the closure of the newspapers in the Jaffna peninsula.

The members of the Committee met senior government officials and brought this problem to their notice.

Furthermore, the English media of the South carried stories explaining that the Jaffna based Uthayan newspaper was unable to meet the demand of the readers due to the shortage of the newsprint. The English media of the South even carried pictures of the pages of the Uthayan newspaper being pasted on walls by the newspaper agents to enable the people read.

The Uthayan newspaper management sent communications to the media minister and the President explaining the problems and seeking justice.

This problem had been internationalized and the international community including the American Ambassador in Sri Lanka had shown their concern.

We would like to point out that it is the duty of the State and Defence Establishment to provide all possible help to the Tamil media that plays its role despite threats.

We expect the media minister to voice for the Press!

An English translation of the Editorial in Sudar Oli, a Tamil daily based in Colombo

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