Sri Lanka journalists hold anti-government protest
(February 08, 2010) Sri Lankan journalists who claim the government has stepped up
its suppression of the media in recent weeks staged a protest on Monday and demanded
the release of a detained editor from a pro-opposition newspaper. Nearly a hundred
journalists demonstrated in the capital Colombo, urging the government to allow the
media to report without hindrance and to free Chandana Sirimalwatte, editor of the
Lanka newspaper. They also demanded that authorities track down a columnist of a Web
site who disappeared last month. The protest comes on the heels of calls by international
human rights and media groups for the Sri Lankan government to stop what they say
is harassment of journalists following last month's landslide re-election of President
Mahinda Rajapaksa. New-York based Human Rights Watch said since the election authorities
have detained and questioned several journalists and blocked news Web sites. At least
one reporter has been assaulted and several have been threatened.