At a time when presidential elections have been announced, the Sri Lanka Electronic Broadcasters Association strongly condemns the recent statements made by some politicians that media channels aligned with their opponents will cease to exist once they come to power. (Sri Lanka Latest News)
In a statement, the union said it condemned the baseless allegations made by several politicians against various media houses, alleging bias without evidence, thereby tarnishing their reputation and undermining their independence.
The association also states that these statements directly violate the fundamental rights to free media and freedom of expression guaranteed under the Constitution of Sri Lanka.
Sri Lanka Electronic Broadcasters Association has also mentioned in the announcement.
Article 10 of the Constitution of Sri Lanka guarantees that “every person has the right to freedom of thought”.
Article 14 (1) (a) further affirms “freedom of speech and expression, including publication” and Article 14 (1) (g) “guarantees freedom to engage in any lawful occupation, profession, trade, business or enterprise.” These constitutional provisions design It is done to protect the rights of individuals and organizations to freely disseminate information, express opinions and engage in media activities without fear of reprisal or censorship.
Sri Lanka is a signatory to several international human rights instruments that emphasize the importance of media freedom, including the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights (UDHR), the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR) and the International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESR). ) is key in this regard.
Article 19 of the ICCPR, which Sri Lanka has ratified, states, “Everyone has the right to freedom of expression.
And that this right includes the freedom to seek, receive and impart information and ideas of all kinds, regardless of frontiers, whether in writing or in print, orally in the form of art or in any other medium of choice.
Freedom of the press is a cornerstone of any democratic society, acting as an accountability of power, promoting transparency, and ensuring public awareness of the actions and policies of their leaders, as well as a free and independent media is essential to the functioning of democracy, facilitating informed citizen participation, Fostering public debate and holding public officials accountable.
And in Sri Lanka, the media will play a critical role in exposing corruption, advocating for human rights and providing a platform for diverse voices, historically, press freedom in Sri Lanka has faced many challenges, including censorship, intimidation and violence against journalists. It is also mentioned that it has been given.
Whereas the UDHR, adopted by the United Nations General Assembly in 1948, guarantees everyone freedom of expression, and this right includes the freedom to hold opinions and to seek, receive and impart information and ideas regardless of frontiers and through any media without hindrance, They mention
It is stated that it is the government’s responsibility to create an environment where the media can operate freely and independently, and any attempt to silence or intimidate the media will undermine the nation’s democratic structure and violate national and international commitments to protect freedom of expression.
They say the government should take immediate steps to assure the media community and the public that these fundamental rights are protected and respected.
