Threat (Sri Lanka)

  • 23 Jan 2020
    Sri Lanka: Tamil journalists receive death threats

    Country Sri Lanka  State Eastern  Violation Type Threat  Target Media Staff

    Leaflets threatening to kill seven Tamil journalists were left at the Batticaloa Press Club and a nearby bus stop in Batticaloa, a city in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka.

  • 13 Dec 2018
    Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (ANCL)

    Country Sri Lanka  State Western  Violation Type Threat  Target Media House

    “Supporters of the United National Party (UNP) gathered outside the state-owned Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited (ANCL), also known as Lake House, threatening security while demanding the removal of the posters of former President Mahinda Rajapaksa on December 13.” “The incident took place after the Supreme Court’s’ ruling that the dissolution of the Parliament by President Maithripala Sirisena was unconstitutional. A group of UNP supporters gathered outside the Lake House offices and demanded that posters placed on the building wall supporting former President Mahinda Rajapaksa be removed. They also insisted that the management of Lake House must be returned to the UNP following the ruling. Police intervened and removed the UNP supporters. Earlier, newsrooms at Lake House were targeted and editorial staff harassed following the controversial appointment of Rajapaksa as the new Prime Minister by Sirisena on October 26, 2018. After Rajapaksa was sworn-in, members of the unions loyal to his Sri Lanka Podujana Peramuna (SLPP) moved in to take control of state-owned media institutions’

  • 25 Jul 2018
    Hemantha Kahawalage

    Country Sri Lanka  State Western  Violation Type Threat  Target Journalist

    Hemantha Kahawalage, a news editor for Neth FM radio, was threatened by a minister after Kahawlage refused his request to take down an article. After his request was denied, Minister for Sustainable Development, Wildlife and Regional Development, Sarath Fonseka, told Kahawalage, “let’s clash and see what happens”. The report concerned links between criminals and an anonymous senior minister. Fonseka also demanded an apology to those criminals who were named in the report.