Prez condemns Khashoggi’s murder

President Maithripala Sirisena yesterday condemned the brutal killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi in Turkey and said this kind of crime should not have happened anywhere in the world. He said there was a time in Sri Lanka when such harassment, kidnappings, assault and even killing of journalists had become a subculture but fortunately not a single journalist was subjected to any ill treatment during his tenure as President from 2015 to date.

Delivering the keynote address at the 7th delegation summit and award presentation of the International War and Peace Reporting (IWPR) at the BMICH last afternoon, the President said suppression and intimidation of journalists was present in Sri Lanka for decades prior to 2015 and the attacks on the media intensified under the previous regime.

“Some journalists fled the country and certain other journalists were assassinated in cold blood. I am glad to say that not a single journalist was harassed under my rule,” he said.

The President said he was not a stranger to the media and to journalism either as he had worked as a provincial correspondent for Lake House from 1974 to 1977 and had written to newspapers under a pseudonym or under his byline. “I can gladly claim and say with respect that I have been able to restore democracy, the rule of law, judicial and media freedom to its utmost after 2015. I am aware that you have many difficulties, problems and grievances. I have appointed a committee to look into these issues and a report is out now. I will do my best to solve the concerns of journalists in the private and state media as early as possible based on the recommendations of this report. I will discuss your problems with the Commissioner General of Labour and Director General of Information as well,” he said.