No media freedom in Sri Lanka

Freedom House, an independent watchdog organization dedicated to the expansion of freedom around the world has commended about the freedom of expression

“Although the government included several items regarding freedom of media in its July 2012 National Action Plan on national reconciliation, there were little progress or no progress at all at the end of the year while there is provison for media freedom in the constitution itself. ” The 1979 Prevention of Terrorism Act restricts various issues such as a prohibition on bringing the government into contempt; reporting on classified information, and those convicted of gathering secret information can be sentenced to up to 14 years in prison etc The 1973 Press Council Act, that prohibited disclosure of certain fiscal, defense, and security information, was revived in 2009. In July 2012, the government revised the registration fees of electronic and web-based media from 100,000 rupees ($780), with annual renewal fees of 50,000 rupees 25,000 rupees and 10,000 rupees respectively in August. In 2006, a new Media Center for National Security (MCNS) imposed unofficial prepublication censorship on issues of “national security and defense”. In March 2012, the MCNS issued a directive to distribute news services via mobile-telephone text messages. “The Establishments Code, that’s governs the civil servants, actively discourages access to information even on public-interest grounds and an attempt to introduce a right to information bill in Parliament in 2011 by the opposition was defeated ant the nest effort in May 2012 was also blocked by the Speaker of Parliament,” The journalists who cover human rights or military issues, face regular intimidation and pressure from government officials at all levels. throughout the country”