The Political Bureau of the JVP has released a statement condemning the anti-democratic and repressive measures the government took against journalists and media institutions and demanding the release of all those arrested at the protest held near President Gotabaya Rajapaksa’s private residence.
The statement reads:
Let’s defeat government’s attempt to suppress media! – JVP
Following the mass protests against the government and the President in Mirihana last night (31st), the government is trying to use the incident as a pretext to suppress the people’s struggles by intimidating them. On the other hand, it seems that the government is trying to silence and repress journalists and media institutions by attacking even journalists.
The government has even deployed security forces to attack journalists who went to cover the protest. Two journalists have already been hospitalized, and another has been arrested. It is learned that the government is preparing to take action under the Prevention of Terrorism Act against all those arrested, including journalists.
As such, we strongly condemn the anti-democratic and repressive measures taken by the government against journalists and media institutions that report on the people’s protests instead of addressing the most serious issues facing the people.
In addition to assaulting and arresting journalists, the government appears to be using these incidents to silence, intimidate and repress media institutions that it cannot control. It is a very serious situation in terms of democracy and the people’s right to information.
Therefore, we emphasize the need to immediately defeat the government’s attempts to silence the media institutions that disobey them and the move to attack, arrest and suppress journalists who do not tow their line instead of investigating and resolving people’s protests. We urge everyone to rally amid these struggles to protect press freedom and democracy.
We also demand that the government release the arrested journalists immediately and not interfere with the media.
Political Bureau
People’s Liberation Front