Sri Lanka
Press limited by ink shortagePosted Feb 25 2007
Ink shortage in Jaffna, Sri Lanka limits press. Heavy fighting has closed the main road connecting Jaffna, on the Northern tip of Sri Lanka, to the capital city, Colombo in the South according to Wan-Press.org. The main roads that connect Jaffna and Colombo have been closed for a year because of massive fighting. The commissioner of Jaffna will not allow ships carrying supplies to include newsprint and ink in the cargo. As a result, Jaffna’s three newspapers can print only four pages. Without radio or TV stations, Jaffna newspapers are the only source of news for the region. Jaffna-based Namatha Ealanadu newspaper was forced to close down after its managing director was gunned down last year. Additionally, the International Press Institute wrote a letter to the ambassadors of the United States, Norway, Japan and to the Head of the European Commission Delegation to Sri Lanka in response to the shortage. The shortage means a shortage of information and a potential shut down of the areas newspapers.
On the Web: http://www.freemedia.at/cms/ipi/statements_detail.html?ctxid=CH0055&docid=CMS1169823833685