PEOPLE FOUGHT AND WON MEDIA FREEDOM; BUT ONLY MEDIA CAN DESTROY IT - PM
People fought for media freedom and won media freedom and only media can destroy it,” Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said yesterday. Prime Minister expressed this sentiment at the opening session of the symposium of Colombo Declaration of Media Freedom and Social Responsibility which is being held to mark the 20th anniversary of the said declaration last evening.
“Prime Minister then voiced his opinion of media.“you can highlight our shortcomings but why are you not reporting on what the government has done? He questioned. We have constructed roads, given insurance cover to all school children and have constructed houses but none of it is reported. there are shortcomings but there are areas which we have performed more than the previous government. Only one aspect is reported.
Therefore, we have to ask as to what is happening. The government is committed to uphold rights. We have to continue that journey. Does anyone talk of Lasantha or Ekneligoda today? I would like to know how many times newspapers reported on these journalists who had been killed. People fought and won media freedom and only media can destroy it,” he said in this regard.
“The Colombo Declaration took 20 years to establish media freedom. When you look back there are many of you who walked length with us, who fought to establish media freedom. Many of those who had sacrificed their lives are not among us now. Lasatha Wickramatunga, Ekneligoda and a group of journalists from the Udayan newspaper are to name a few. I was asked by the Chairman what was happening to the inquires of these killings. I told him that one of the police officers who were inquiring told me as to how they could inquire when media is abusing them and making them villains. this is an issue for you to take up in your deliberations in the next few days. If you want evidence, I will certainly supply them. Minister of media will also do the same,” he added.
Referring to the request made by Sri Lanka Press Institute Chairman Kumar Nadesan who requested for legislation on Contempt of Court in order to set things clear about it where the media is concerned, the Premier said the matter should be discussed with the Judiciary.“there are things which we should do and have to go into. One is the contempt of Court issue. We need this legislation but you have to remember that there is another stakeholder here, which is the judiciary. Parliament will have to work together with the Judiciary in bringing in laws for contempt of court. I don’t think it is impossible as oversight committee on judiciary should certainly go into it. It requires extensive consultation with the judiciary,” he said
Also he said a report of the Expert Committee of the constitution Assembly will come out with a report on the new constitution shortly, Prime Minister said yesterday.“the Expert Committee of the Constitution Assembly will come out with a report on the new constitution shortly. This will not comprise our views on the constitution. Therefore, do not conclude that we are going to divide the nation. There will be areas for which we could agree and not agree. We can go forward if we agree,” the PM said.
Minister of Finance and Mass Media Mangala Samaraweera said that the government does not expect a reversion to the days of intimidation and self-censorship but expect unbiased and fact- based reporting as such a media culture would strengthen country’s democracy and plurality, without harming core values.“the media owes this not to the government but to the citizens of Sri Lanka and to democracy itself. It is a arduous journey to win the rights of free media but there is a risk to slip back into the draconian controls of an authoritarian regime which was sadly the experience of all Sri Lankans before 2015,” the Minister said.
TNA MP M. A. Sumanthiran said it is a shame that the killing of journalists both in the South and in the North is not probed. He highlighted that Northern journalists have suffered more during the past. He was critical of local media where he said it is acting in an irresponsible manner. Country Director UNSCO Eric Falt in his speech assured the support of UNSCO for establishing complete press freedom in Sri Lanka.
It is a arduous journey to win the rights of free media but there is a risk to slip back into the draconian controls of an authoritarian regime which was sadly the experience of all Sri Lankans before 2015