Sri Lanka blocks access to TamilNet

by admin
Jun 20, 2007
THE Sri Lanka government came under criticism from local and international media watchdog after it ordered local internet service providers to block access to TamilNet, the web-based news agency covering events in the island's northeast.
 
"Tamilnet is a source of news and information that is known throughout the world and for the past 10 years its coverage of Sri Lanka's civil war has proved essential," Reporters Without Borders said in an appeal.
"The government must put a stop to this censorship and restore access to the site at once."
 
The Sri Lankan government has denied blocking the site, but the national security spokesman and minister Keheliya Rambuwella said he would love to hire hackers to disable Tamilnet Service providers rejected the
Government claim.
 
“We have blocked it as per a government directive," a Dialog Telecom spokesman said.
 
Reporters have been stopped from visiting Tiger-held areas since August 2006 for what the government says are security reasons.

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