Attacks on the Press in 2010 - Committee to Protect Journalists

Asia: AnalysisThe Philippines boasts a vibrant independent press, but it also offers alesson in partisanship. The advent of “block time” broadcasting, in whichcommentators lease time from private radio stations, has enabled localpoliticians and their surrogates to air harsh political programming aimedat attacking opponents. Numerous block time commentators have beenkilled in retaliation, CPJ research showed.In politics and media, polarization is deeply entrenched in Sri Lanka.Rajapaksa not only won the presidency, but his Sri Lanka Freedom Party,in a coalition called the United People’s Freedom Alliance, took a largemajority in April’s parliamentary elections. As for Fonseka, in September amilitary court convicted him of politicized fraud charges. He was strippedof his rank and sentenced to 30 months in prison with hard labor.Prabath Sahabandu, editor of The Island daily, told CPJ that his paper’spro-Rajapaksa stance was a natural fit: “This government was preoccupiedwith the war effort and we were also campaigning against terrorism as anewspaper. On this particular issue, we saw eye to eye. So we didn’t havethe problems that other newspapers had.” The Island is allied with the winningside now, but Sahabandu said it hadn’t always been that way. He saida series of administrations going back to the 1970s had harassed the paper,including pressuring its creditors and printers. “So we have had problemswith the government in the past, too,” he said.125