March 30, 2012
COLOMBO , March 29 (Xinhua ) -- Sri Lanka is to file legal action against some websites which published defamatory articles on the Sri Lankan president and his family , an official said Thursday .
Cabinet spokesman Lakshman Yapa Abeywardena told reporters on Thursday that he had submitted a report to President Mahinda Rajapaksa regarding websites which continuously target the president .
Abeywardena said that while Sri Lankan newspapers and the electronic media can be monitored and approached for clarifications , it is difficult to do the same on the various websites which publish articles on Sri Lanka from unknown locations both in Sri Lanka and overseas .
He said that these websites which are not registered with the Media Ministry violate media ethics and the media culture .
The Sri Lankan government had recently requested news websites operating in Sri Lanka to register with the government .
However of the 100 applications received only 50 were registered as the rest had failed to meet the stipulated requirements , the government said .
Abeywardena said that appropriate action will be taken against the websites which have an agenda for tarnishing the image of the president and subsequently legal action will also be considered .
