Colombo (AsiaNews) - Free access for media to refugee camps and safety for journalists in the north, where in August the first elections since the end of 30 years of Tamil Tigers control will be held. These are two of the 11 requests that the main international media organisations have made of Mahinda Rajapaksa, President of Sri Lanka. In an open letter they denounce "the deteriorating situation of press freedom in the country continues despite the military victory on the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)."
The government in Colombo has often used the excuse of the war against the Tamil Tigers and the defence of national security to control the media in Sri Lanka. Authorities have even come to imprison journalists accusing them of collusion with the Tamil rebels, and there are many cases of threats and murders of journalists who have criticized government policy in their articles.
Associations such as the International Federation of Journalists, the World Committee for Freedom of Press and Reporters Without Borders are among the signatories of the open letter to Rajapaksa. They argue that "much needs to be done immediately to ensure that journalists in Sri Lanka and the independent media in Sinhalese, Tamil and English can enjoy security and freedom that is inherent in a democracy."
The organizations are asking for a reform of obsolete legislation governing the press in the country and a revision of the Press Council Act No. 5, dating to 1973, which provides a tight control on media through measures which the signatories of the letter view as oppressive.
Invoking democracy and freedom of expression, the groups are asking the President of Sri Lanka also create an office for the investigation of crimes against the media and the publication of the results of the investigation into the murder of Lasantha Wickramathunga, director of the Sunday Leader assassinated on 8 January. Among the eleven items in the letter, there is also the request for the release of journalists JS Tissainayagam, B. Jasiharan and V. Vallarmathy in prison since March 2008.