Sri Lanka to censor victims' photos

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan President promulgated an emergency regulation under the Public Security Ordinance today according to which all photographs of victims of bomb blasts and other offences under the Prevention of Terrorism Act would be subject to censorship.

The promulgation says - " This regulation may be cited as the Emergency (Publication of Photographs) regulation No.1 of 1998. The Director of Information shall be the Competent Authority for the purpose of this regulation.

1. No person shall, except with the permission of the Competent Authority publish or permit the publication in any newspaper or in the electronic media of any photograph depicting a person killed or injured as a result of a bomb explosion or any other act which constitutes an offence under the Prevention of Terrorism (Temporary Provisions) Act No.48 of 1979 or any part of the body of any such person.

2. Any person who contravenes the provisions of this regulation shall be guilty of an offence."

The Sri Lankan press, particularly the Sinhala papers, carried gruesome pictures of the woman suicide bomber who blew herself up in down town Colombo recently.

Pictures of people killed in the Dalada Maligawa were also displayed prominently, helping the opposition UNP gain political milage on the issue.