by Sarah Harrison

Created on: October 29, 2008

People in Sri Lanka are scared. A man I interviewed for this article did not want to be quoted, named or referred to.

And they are confused. I am too reading the online Sri Lankan newspapers (and I hear they are exactly the same on the street); not one paper tells the same story, or gives the same weight to each scoop.

Many of the papers and radio stations are state owned and widely known to be full of propaganda. Local journalists are disappearing all the time. Everyone is suspicious of everyone.

The government's official news website is riddled with press releases stating the 'true' version of international reports on Sri Lanka, and demands for apologies and retractions from the world's press.

The media suppression is leaving the people of Sri Lanka
misinformed, trapped and without a voice.

Media freedom is considered a human right in a democracy. Many countries in the world pride themselves on it. Its roots go as far back as 1789 when 'The Declaration of the Rights of Man' carved the first steps to ensure freedom of speech for the people. Freedom of press now plays a fundamental role in a democratic society 'sustaining and monitoring, [] as well as in contributing to greater accountability, good government, and economic development'[i].

The importance of media freedom can be seen in the wake of the Tsunami. Many small aid organisations sprang up around the country and were able, through free media, to gain help, funds and information. Many in London
were able to locate loved ones via the BBC.

But in situations of war, these same democratic countries will suppress information from the media to ensure secrecy against the enemy and protection of the people. The minority Tamils in Sri Lanka were unfairly represented in government at independence in 1948. Unrest developed into civil war in 1983 that has been going on-and-off since then, predominantly against the Liberation Tigers of
Tamil
Eelam (LTTE), or Tamil Tigers, who are now claiming independence in the North and East. The LTTE are well known for terrorist attacks and 'invented' the suicide bomber. The Sri Lankan government is fighting back with similar tactics. The war is slowly destroying the country.

Even in times of peace, and with a so called free press many governments are able to warp the information the public receives. Through state owned newspapers, television channels and radio stations, governments are able to ensure that 'the picture of the world that's presented to the public has only the remotest relation

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