Casey, Kerry, Lugar Mark World Press Freedom Day

May 1, 2009

United States Senate, Washington, DC -- In advance of World Press Freedom Day on May 3rd, U.S. Senator Bob Casey (D-PA), Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Subcommittee on Near Eastern and South and Central Asian Affairs was joined by Senate Foreign Relations Committee Chairman John Kerry (D-MA) and Ranking Member Dick Lugar (R-IL) in releasing the following statement:

“World Press Freedom Day, Sunday May 3, is an important reminder that a free press promotes an open marketplace of ideas and provides public and private sector accountability to a nation’s electorate.    According to the Committee to Protect Journalists, 11 journalists have already been killed this year because of their work.   Two of those journalists, Lasantha Wickrematunga and Puniyamoorthy Sathiyamoorthy, were killed in Sri Lanka where members of the press have also disappeared, been beaten and imprisoned.  Many Sri Lankan journalists are now in exile, living in fear of retribution for their work.

“We are concerned about the detention of the journalists including J.S. Tissainayagam and his two colleagues, Vetivel Jasikaran and his wife Valarmathi Jasikaran, who wrote on the humanitarian suffering caused by the ongoing conflict in Sri Lanka. 

“Together, we urge the Government of Sri Lanka to protect its journalists and conduct swift, full, and credible investigations into attacks on them.  It is in every nation’s best interest to have an independent press that is free to question, challenge, and investigate issues and stories--without concern for political party, position, or who holds power.”

Contact: