Thursday, November 1, 2007

Sri Lanka Presidential Secretariat said that the gazette to cancel a previous gazette notice imposing a press censorship on country’s civil war reporting would be issued today.

The gazette, numbered 1521/3 and dated October 29 was issued under the article six of the Public Security Ordinance banning dissemination of information in newspapers and other publications on reports “which pertains to any proposed operations or military activity by the security forces who are engaged in maintaining national security, territorial integrity and sovereignty.”

Reporting "the proposed acquisition of arms, ammunition or other equipment, including aircraft or naval vessels by the armed forces or the police" was also banned.

Under the gazette revoked, any person who printed, published, distributed or transmitted any material in contravention of the provisions should on conviction after trial before the high court without a jury or a magistrate was liable to rigorous imprisonment for a term not less than three months and not exceeding five years. Fines ranged from Rs. 500 to Rs. 5000.