Why the media silence on Sri Lanka's descent into dictatorship?

The question posed in the headline to this post, is spot on. Why indeed? Sri Lanka, much like Israel, is given a leave-pass by the media. It ought not to. It's a corrupt and dictatorial regime. What has been done to the Tamils is a crime. No other word for it.

Edward Mortimer, writes on the subject in comment is free on The Guardian:

"It is now over a year since the president of Sri Lanka, Mahinda Rajapaksa, claimed victory over the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). But war is still being waged on the "paradise island" – by the government, against the country's journalists.

Last week alone saw one media outlet receive a threatening letter and the head of another charged with fraud by the supreme court after publishing stories critical of the government. And two international NGO workers involved in protecting journalists had their visas revoked.

The situation has been deteriorating for some time. According to Amnesty International at least 14 media workers have been killed in the country since 2006 and more than 20 are thought to have fled – more per capita than have left Iran. Arbitrary arrests, abductions and assassinations have been documented for over three decades. No one has ever been prosecuted for these attacks on the media."

Continue reading here.

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