The President of the SAARC Journalists’ Forum, Raju Lama, has strongly condemned the Sri Lankan government’s attempts to curtail freedom of expression and obstruct media independence through police intimidation and illegal measures.
In a statement, Lama specifically referred to the police’s request concerning a recent news report by Hiru Media Network on a cannabis plant raid, calling it a direct attack on free journalism.
The Central Committee of the SAARC Journalists’ Forum (SJF) emphasized these concerns in a special statement issued today (26). The statement further notes that the National People’s Power government has demonstrated a worrying pattern of media suppression over the past 15 months.
Despite earlier promises to uphold democratic values, the government is now showing what the statement described as an “authoritarian bent.”
The SAARC Journalists’ Forum urged the Sri Lankan government to immediately cease using police-state tactics to silence critics, safeguard the constitutional rights of journalists, uphold editorial independence, and adhere to international standards of media freedom and ethics.
Additionally, the forum called on international human rights organizations and advocates for free speech to unite against state interference in the country’s media sector.
