Sri Lanka’s Chief Government Censor Slain by Gunmen

The chief government censor was shot and killed Sunday, police and witnesses said.

Themis Guruge, who also headed the government-owned radio station, was taking a walk near his home at Polhengoda, four miles southeast of Colombo, when he was shot by two unidentified gunmen riding in a white car, police said on condition of anonymity.

Guruge, 60, a well-known broadcaster, was named head of the government’s four-person censorship committee two weeks ago. Censorship on local and foreign press reports was imposed amid escalating ethnic violence and a growing dispute between India and Sri Lanka over the presence of a 40,000-member Indian peacekeeping force.

Guruge, a Sinhalese, was appointed chairman of the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corp. two months ago.