Editor's Guild challenges censorship

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 June 2000, 12:19 GMT]
The Editor's guild has filed a fundamental Rights application in the Supreme Court challenging the legality of the Regulation making powers of the President under Section 5 of the Public Security Ordinance. This is the section under which the government has imposed the wide ranging censorship of the news, and banned the publication of three newspapers.

The application also seeks a declaration that the Emergency Regulation (Prohibition on Publication and Transmission of sensitive military news) violates the fundamental rights of the nation and is ultra vires of the Constitution.

The application of the Editors' Guild is filed through Attorney at law Lalanthy de Silva.

President of the Editors' Guild Sinha Rathnatunge, Lankadeepa Editor Cyril Ranasinghe, Daily Mirror Editor Lalith Abehakoon Sunday Island Editor Manik de Silva, Diwaina Editor Upali Tennekoon, Island Editor Gamini Weerakoon, Thinakural Editor A. Sivanessa Chelvan, Ravaya Editor Victor Ivan, Weekend Express Editor Phillip Cooray and Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge are the petitioners.

Director of information Ariya Rubasinghe Siripathy Suriyarachchy, Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera and the Attorney General are listed as the respondents in the case.