http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2009/03/06/asia/AS-Sri-Lanka-Media-Freedom.php
Rights groups urge release of Sri Lankan reporter The Associated Press Friday, March 6, 2009 COLOMBO, Sri Lanka: International rights groups urged Sri Lanka's government on Friday to release an ethnic Tamil journalist detained for criticizing the country's military campaign against Tamil Tiger separatists. The International Press Freedom Mission to Sri Lanka, a grouping of nine media and human rights organizations, said they were deeply worried about the continued detention of journalist J.S. Tissainayagam on terrorism charges. It said Tissainayagam has been "subjected to arbitrary court adjournments and is suffering ill health" including tuberculosis. The group includes Amnesty International, Reporters Without Borders, the Committee to Protect Journalists and the International Federation of Journalists. Tissainayagam was arrested a year ago and indicted five months later under an anti-terrorism law for two articles he wrote for a monthly magazine that discussed issues confronting Sri Lanka's minority Tamils. According to Amnesty International, at least 14 media workers have been killed in Sri Lanka since the beginning of 2006. It says others have been arbitrarily detained or tortured or have disappeared while in the custody of security forces. The government has denied any role in violence against journalists. Tamil Tiger rebels have been fighting for 25 years to create an independent state.
