Sri Lanka imposes censorship

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 November 1999, 08:51 GMT]
The Sri Lankan President has imposed censorship on the local and foreign press under the Public Security Ordinance (Chapter 40) with effect from November 6. The clamp down on the press comes in the wake of heavy fighting in the northern Vanni region where the Liberation Tigers have captured several strategic towns.

The new regulations preclude the publication, broadcast or transmitting of any material pertaining to any matter inclusive of military operation carried out or being carried out or proposed to be carried out in the northern and Eastern Province except with the permission of the Competent Authority.

Following is the full text of the censorship proclamation:

The Emergency (Prohibition on Publication and Transmission of Sensitive Military Information) Regulation No.1 of 1998

Published in Gazette Extra ordinary No.1030/28 of 5th June 1998 and deemed to be in force by virtue or Section 2A of the Public Security Ordinance is hereby amended by the substitution for Regulation to thereof of the following new Regulation:

"2. No editor or publisher of a newspaper or any person authorized by or under law to establish and operate a broadcasting section or a television station channel except with the permission of the competent authority print, publish, distribute of transmit whether by means of electronic device or otherwise or cause to be printed, published distributed or transmitted any material (inclusive of documents, pictorial, representations, photographs or cinematograph films) containing any matter pertaining to military operation in the northern and eastern province including any operation carried out or being carried out or proposed to be carried out by the armed forces or by Police force (Including the Special Task Force) the development of troops or personnel or the development or use of equipment including Aircraft or Naval Vessel by any such forces or any statement pertaining to the official conduct moral or performance of the lead or of any member of the armed forces or the Police force or of any person authorized by the Commander in Chief of the Armed Forces for the purpose of rendering assistance in the preservation of national security."