Frederica Jansz sacked

[TamilNet, Saturday, 22 September 2012, 12:50 GMT]
Frederica Jansz, the editor of one of the last remaining "outspokenly anti-government" English newspaper published in Colombo, was sacked by the new businessman owner when Jansz refused to "curb her style of writing and compromise her credibility," as demanded by the owner, BBC reported. Asanga Seneviratne who is an associate of Sri Lanka's President, Mahinda Rajapakse, had bought a 72% stake in the paper, and had asked Jansz to stop carrying articles critical of the Rajapaksas - several of whom occupy senior government positions, BBC reported.

The previous editor of the the Sunday Leader, Lasantha Wickrematunge, was assassinated three years ago, close to Sri Lanka military check points, but the killers have not been brought to justice yet.

The Sunday Leader has always been controversial in a country where most media censor themselves. Many fear an adverse government reaction from the government if they do not do so, the BBC commented in the article.

Recently Jansze had a public verbal, media battle with Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapakse, when the Sunday Leader carried a story accusing the Secretary of misusing Government property to fly a puppy for the Secretary in a Sri Lanka aircraft from Zurich.

Ms Jansz testified for the government against opposition politician Sarath Fonseka over the white flag incident where Fonseka accused the Government officials for complicity in killing LTTE members who surrendered to the Sri Lanka Army waving white flags.

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BBC:		Sri Lanka Sunday Leader editor Frederica Jansz sacked
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