(July 13, 2012) Sri Lankan journalists, activists and opposition lawmakers staged
a protest, on Thursday, accusing the government of unleashing a new wave of media
suppression and intimidation against dissenting journalists. Dozens of protesters
gathered in the capital, Colombo, denouncing a recent police raid on websites critical
of the government, as well as the alleged attempted abduction of a journalist and
secret police allegedly collecting journalists' personal information. Sunil Jayasekara,
a media rights activist who protested, said the government had begun ``a new round
to intimidate journalists and suppress the independent media.'' The Committee to
Protect Journalists says Sri Lanka was the fourth most dangerous country for journalists
in 2010. Amnesty International says at least 14 Sri Lankan media workers have been
killed since the beginning of 2006.