Sri Lanka Accused of Blocking Web Site

CENSORING THE NET Sri Lanka is being criticized for apparently ordering the nation's ISPs to block a Web site that supports the Tamil Tiger rebels, a militant group that supports secession of the north and east portion of the country into a separate state.

The Web site at issue is Tamilnet.com, which is characterized as one of the most influential in reporting news from the group's perspective in the three-and-a-half decade long conflict.

The government is denying any such involvement in the issue. "We have nothing to do with this," media minister Anura Yapa said in a press conference.

Callers to the customer service desk at Sri Lanka Telecom were being told that the government had asked them to block the site. The company is partially owned by the government and Japanese company NTT.

Furthermore, a government spokesperson even said publicly that he would like to hire hackers to shut down the site, a comment that was quickly denounced by supporters of the Tamil Tigers' cause.

Reporters Without Borders have added their support, saying they have known of the ban since June 15, and called for the blocking to end "at once."