On June 5th the English language Sri Lanka Mirror, published in Colombo, Sri Lanka, reported that a member of Parliament, Arundhika Fernando, claimed to have met with missing journalist and cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda on a recent trip to France.
Prageeth, an employee of the Lanka-e-News website, disappeared in Colombo on his way home from work two days before the 2010 presidential elections, on the night of January 24th, 2010. He had been a vocal and public critic of the human rights abuses of the government of Pres. Mahinda Rajapaksa. Since his disappearance, his wife Sandya Eknaligoda has kept … [full story]
update: Aseem Trivedi
Assem Trivedi was chosen as the co-recipient of our 2012 CIEC award for two courageous actions. First, in an atmosphere of increasing censorship and repression in the world’s largest democracy, Mr. Trivedi launched Cartoons Against Corruption to mobilize his fellow citizens against India’s pervasive political corruption.
Then, after being charged with treason and insulting national symbols, Aseem took his second courageous action. Despite the charges and threats of additional charges, he assumed a leadership role in India’s emerging free speech movement. Joining forces with other free speech activists, Aseem launched an online freedom of expression campaign called Save Your Voice: A Movement Against Web Censorship.
Then, after being charged with treason and insulting national symbols, Aseem took his second courageous action. Despite the charges and threats of additional charges, he assumed a leadership role in India’s emerging free speech movement. Joining forces with other free speech activists, Aseem launched an online freedom of expression campaign called Save Your Voice: A Movement Against Web Censorship.
2011 Zulkiflee Ulhaque, aka “Zunar” (Malaysia)
CRNI’s 2011 Award for Courage in Editorial Cartooning was given to Malaysian cartoonist Zulkiflee Ulhaque, better known as “Zunar”.
Zunar endured 10 years of constant harassment and censorship by the state for cartoons critical of senior government officials. The Malaysian government has seized Zunar’s books and magazines, which also feature work by other cartoonists. The factories producing his titles have been raided and vendors have been warned not to sell his titles. Zunar has been detained and threatened with a charge of sedition. He has fought back by initiating legal challenges to his detention and to the seizing of his titles. Learn more about Zunar and his struggle in the Oceania/East Asia section of our Art to Die For collection. [full story]
Zunar endured 10 years of constant harassment and censorship by the state for cartoons critical of senior government officials. The Malaysian government has seized Zunar’s books and magazines, which also feature work by other cartoonists. The factories producing his titles have been raided and vendors have been warned not to sell his titles. Zunar has been detained and threatened with a charge of sedition. He has fought back by initiating legal challenges to his detention and to the seizing of his titles. Learn more about Zunar and his struggle in the Oceania/East Asia section of our Art to Die For collection. [full story]