Sri Lanka to take some websites to court

March 30, 2012

COLOMBO, March 29 (Xinhua) -- Sri Lanka is to file legal action against some websiteswhich published defamatory articles on the Sri Lankan president and his family, anofficial said Thursday.

Cabinet spokesman Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena told reporters on Thursday that hehad submitted a report to President Mahinda Rajapaksa regarding websites whichcontinuously target the president.

Abeywardena said that while Sri Lankan newspapers and the electronic media can bemonitored and approached for clarifications, it is difficult to do the same on the variouswebsites which publish articles on Sri Lanka from unknown locations both in Sri Lankaand overseas.

He said that these websites which are not registered with the Media Ministry violatemedia ethics and the media culture.

The Sri Lankan government had recently requested news websites operating in SriLanka to register with the government.

However of the 100 applications received only 50 were registered as the rest had failedto meet the stipulated requirements, the government said.

Abeywardena said that appropriate action will be taken against the websites which havean agenda for tarnishing the image of the president and subsequently legal action willalso be considered.

Posted by Thavam