SL has become play ground for international media: Keheliya

Former Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said that the foreign media had focused its attention on Sri Lanka and given a wide publicity about the incidents that took place in Digana and Teldeniya in order to tarnish the image of the country in a subtle manner.

He also said that the opportunity is available today in Sri Lanka for the foreign media to turn our country into a ‘ play ground’ . This government has given an open invitation to establish a special UN office and an Office of Missing Persons in Sri Lanka to obtain information about the missing persons

He said so at a special news briefing held at his residence in Kandy yesterday regarding the present situation in the country.

He said, “This government has given an open invitation to establish a special UN office and an Office of Missing Persons in Sri Lanka to obtain information about the missing persons. The foreign media have used to give wider publicity to the incidents that took place in Sri Lanka tarnishing its image rather than the wanton destruction being caused in Syria and Yemen. This is being done in an organized manner. A political movement and the rulers of this country should be held responsible to some extent for the ethnic conflicts that took place recently.”

He said that the former government imposed certain restrictions regarding the operations of some media institutions so that they could not move freely during the armed conflict in the north-east.