Freedom to Write

The internet is a great innovation. It provides vast possibilities for inventive minds. Within it are immeasurable possibilities of search for diverse information. The internet also provides facilities for personal websites, blogs , forums and chats. There are also websites open for any one to contribute, by way of postings on any subjects, from gardening to politics. There are Forums on all subjects into which members could post their articles and commence a discussion, where other members with like interest may join in. It facilitates writers to find a reading public.

There are also the websites for news and information, where any one has the freedom to write for or against a news item of choice. There are websites that have been set up by Sri Lankans, or for the Sri Lankan community to express themselves on politics, religion or art and culture.

There is the popular Lankaweb, frequented by a large number of writers, both from Sri Lanka and the Sri Lankans living abroad. Some or most of the writers to Lankaweb write against terrorism. But it is open to any one with any political view to express themselves freely. It is one of the oldest Sri Lankan websites in the internet. It encourages writers to express their opinions, what ever they may be, without any restrictions. But for some reason the Lankaweb is now closed to contibuters, and maintains a semblance of a website copying news items from on-line journals. It seems a sad end to a great website.

The Sri Lanka Guardian website accepts articles on any subject of interest to readers. In this website there are articles against the government. And quite a lot of the writers are from the Tamil diaspora, who write strongly against the government. But it does not restrict contributions from others who are favourable to the government. In this website one is free to express one’s point of view, and receive critical and reproachful replies. It is nevertheless a healthy means of expression of one's views. One is free to write on a subject which with some agrees, and others disagree. It is the democratic freedom to write, and to be criticised for what had been written.

These websites as many websites of the developed countries are a healthy means of expression. They allow any one to express their points of view on any thing or any personn, the President, the Ministers or even the Judiciary. If an article does not insult a person or institutions, but criticises to point out errors, and expresses disagreement, there is no harm in publishing such articles.

But if some one takes offence over an article appearing in the website, he is free to write to say so. But to use the privilege of one’s official position to contact the webmasters to demand them to stop publishing articles critical of him or his actions, is attempting to curtail the freedom of expression of the people.

It is unheard of in the Western democracies. The Websites are more often reluctant to publish articles that hurt the sensibility of their readers. That too depends on the nature of the subject treated by it. There are special website for sex and sensuality. This is an aspect largely exploited by the internet and often becomes a nuisance with pop up windows with nude women and men which may disturb the concentration of the more “intellectual minds”. These websites are however subject to restrictions and sometimes in some western countries they are controlled by the police department.

Other than that the police and the judiciary do not interfere in to websites where political issues are discussed. There are articles in some of the websites of the countries of the International Community, where the governments , and the judicial matters come under criticism. But neither the governments nor the judiciary intervene to curtail the liberty of expression.