LankaeNews.lk
Type of site
Online Newspaper
Available inEnglish, Sinhala, Tamil
EditorAthula Athulathmudali
URLwww.lankaenews.lk
Current statusActive

LankaeNews.lk is a Sri Lankan online News website that provides news and feature articles on current affairs in Sri Lanka. It is known and has been targeted for its independent reporting.

Attacks and threats

LankaeNews.com was banned for several years under the Government of Mahinda Rajapaksa. Its office was set on fire in an arson attack in 2011 and its Editor Bennett Rupasinghe told BBC that he suspected the government’s hand in the crime as LankaeNews had written several articles critical of the Sri Lankan government.[1] Later Bennett Rupasinghe was arrested. Earlier its previous editor, Sandaruwan Senadheera had to flee Sri Lanka after threats.[2][3][4][5][6][7] It came under international limelight in 2010 when its correspondent Prageeth Eknaligoda disappeared while he was investigating the alleged use of chemical weapons by the Sri Lankan Army against Tamil rebels.[8][9][10] The website was banned in November 2017 after it published news reports about alleged corruption in office of the President Maithripala Sirisena and other critical reporting of the government. The ban has been criticised by media organisations including Committee to Protect Journalists and Free Media Movement[11][12]

See also

References

  1. ^ "Offices of anti-government Lankaenews.com set on fire". Charles Haviland. BBC. 31 January 2011. Retrieved 17 November 2017.
  2. ^ "Sri Lankan authorities ban Lanka eNews". Committee to Protect Journalists. 28 April 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  3. ^ "Sri Lanka website editor Bennett Rupasinghe is arrested". BBC. 31 March 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  4. ^ "LANKA-ENEWS FIRE, EDITOR SAYS ARSON". Onlanks. 1 February 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  5. ^ "In Sri Lanka, anti-government website blocked". Committee to Protect Journalists. 7 November 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  6. ^ "Sri Lanka website LankaeNews is suspended". BBC. 28 April 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  7. ^ "Censored website's editor talks about media control". Reporters Without Borders. 26 October 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  8. ^ "Voices in Danger: 'Prageeth is my courage. He always worked for peace and unity'". Evgeny Lebedev. The Independent. 28 April 2013. Retrieved 26 August 2017.
  9. ^ "Prageeth missing due to 'chemical weapon probe'". BBC Sinhala. 28 January 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  10. ^ "Arson attack on Lanka E-News — An attack on society". Sri Lanka Guardian. 1 February 2011. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  11. ^ "Sri Lanka civil society groups irked over news website blocking". New Indian Express. 13 November 2017. Retrieved 16 November 2017.
  12. ^ "Concerns raised over banning Lanka e News". Daily Mirror. 10 November 2017. Retrieved 17 November 2017.

External links

Category