Journalists, activists and opposition lawmakers have staged a protest against media suppression and intimidation by the Sri Lankan state.
Dozens of protesters gathered in Colombo on Thursday to condemn the recent police raids of websites critical of the government, the alleged attempted abduction of a journalist and the alleged secret police gathering journalists’’ personal information.
The editor-in-chief of the Sunday leader, Frederica Jansz was amongst the protesters, wielding the slogan “unbowed and unafraid”. Only last week, Sri lanka’s defence secretary and brother of country’s president, Gothabaya Rajapaksa said to Jansz “people will kill you” ,whilst hurling other abuse at her, in response to Jansz’s asking questions about his alleged abuse of power.
Speaking to The Guardian, Jansz said that 24 years as a journalist have left her in constant despair with the situation in Sri Lanka.
“The Sri Lankan media has been browbeaten into submission-there is such fear psychosis around the media that practices self-censorship.”
UNP Secretary Tissa Atthanayake, JVP Media spokesman Vijitha Herath, leader of the DPF Mano Ganeshan, Mangala Samraweera, Wickremabahu Karunanayake, and Sandya Ekneligoda, the wife of missing cartoonist Prageeth Ekneligoda also attended the protest.
