Sri Lanka to heighten internet censorship

Labels: අන්තර්ජාල වාරණය

(July 17, 2009) The websites the Sri Lanka government accuses of 'slinging mud' at it will face a situation that they 'will be automatically shut down.'

Media spokesman on National Security Minister Keheliya Rambukwella made the warning as reported by the defense reporter of the state-owned Dinamina Sinhala daily. 

A team of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) led by Deputy Inspector General Nandana Munasinghe has started identifying such websites using multiple technologies since yesterday according to the newspaper report.  

Lanka News Web, a website accused by the government politicians and the pro-government media of 'slinging mud at the government' cannot be accessed from Sri Lanka since July 11. However, the Minister of Information and Media Anura Priyadarshana Yapa denies any involvement of the government in such filtering. Pro-LTTE Tamilnet website is also blocked since years and the government does not admit the responsiblity of that act too.  

Sri Lanka Telecom, a company with 51% state stake is the major internet service provider in Sri Lanka. 

(In the map above, the countries in black are the most heavily censored nations regarding internet access. The countries in green maintain a surveillance; the countries in yellow have some sensorship while the blue countries have no censorship.)

Sri Lanka state terrorism in cyber space

(July 13, 2009) The website of the Sri Lanka state-owmed Dinamina newspaper has been reported as an attacking site that tries to install programs that steal private information, use your computer to attack others, or damage your system.

Meanwhile, the authorities have also taken steps to block the Lanka News Web (www.lankanewsweb.com) in Sri Lanka since July 11. This site published both in Sinhala and English post news that thoroughly criticize the government, its allies and the pro-government media. It was started in February and came under criticism from the pro-government lobby since the beginning.

The editors of the website are believed live in UK. Some media persons supected to be the reporters of this website are also under threat.

Jaffna daily Uthayan receives last warning

The newspaper office and the agents of the Jaffna-based Tamil daily Uthayan has received the following "last warning" on Saturday, June 26. Uthayan is an independent newspaper published since 1985 in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. It did not discontinue publishing and survived amidst severe hardships amidst civil war. The election campaigns for the Jaffna Municipal Council has now been kicked off.

"From the time Uthayan started its publication upto now, Uthayan

publishes news items to confuse the Tamil people and their Liberty.

Now after regaining the harmony and Liberty in the Society, "Uthayan"
News items are aimed at destroying the permanent peace and causes the
public to turn to terroists again. Further, these news items promote
communal feelings among Tamils and cause to destroy the peace. Your
news items are twisted from actual truth.

Your paper appears to be a mouthpiece of the Terrorists. Our earlier
warnings have been disregarded by you. Therefore, we are compelled to
take a decision not to allow the publication of Uthayan in Jaffna as

it publishes news that cheat the people.

Therefore all Employees, Agents, Reporters and Security Guards should
officially resign from the Organisation with effect from 30.06.2009

If this final warning too is disregarded, you will face capital
punishment (Death sentence) imposed by us."