The culture of shootings and killings by unidentified gunmen continues to spread across the country. At a time when civilian lives have already been lost, new efforts are reportedly underway to intimidate even those who express constructive criticism of the government.
A recent incident highlighted this growing concern when several individuals, arriving on bicycles without number plates, appeared near the residences of Iraj Weeraratne and Milinda Rajapaksa, who manage the YouTube channel Bye Taksalawa.
“This situation creates grave insecurity for civilians, members of the media, and social media activists,” Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa said in a special statement today.
Premadasa recalled that the current government, during its last election campaign, had pledged to prioritize national security, even claiming they would “conduct tuition classes on security” if provided with tables and chairs. “Yet, under their administration, this culture of killing has spread from city to city, and social media activists now face serious threats,” he said.
He stressed that such threats are not only a violation of the fundamental human right to life but also contradict the supreme law of the nation’s Constitution.
“The intimidation of journalists is a mortal blow to democracy, and urgent steps must be taken to put an end to it. These unidentified cyclists must be investigated,” he urged. “Every citizen has the right to commend the government for what it does right and criticize it for what it does wrong. That right belongs to the people alone—it cannot be stolen by the government or by thugs.”
Premadasa further emphasized that the government must act immediately to dismantle the culture of violence that has instilled fear across society. He pledged that the opposition would provide its fullest support toward this goal.
“When the government does not want to hear what is said on YouTube channels, the solution is not to threaten those individuals, but to correct mistakes and take the country forward,” Premadasa said. “As the opposition, the Samagi Jana Balawegaya will stand firmly to protect journalists who speak the truth, both on social media and in the free press.”
