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Harris violated conditions of working permit - Foreign Ministry

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs last night issued a press release stating that the visa of foreign journalist Paul Harris was not renewed because he violated the conditions of his working permit in Sri Lanka.

The Ministry said that Harris initially arrived on a tourist visa valid for three months and this was extended on a request made by the Daily Telegraph that he was their correspondent.

When the renewal of his visa was due in September the Ministry said the matter came to the specific attention of the authorities.

"It was noted that while the visa prohibited him from engaging him from any trade, paid or unpaid, except for the news agency concerned, he had in fact been writing regular columns for the Daily Mirror newspaper."

The Ministry statement also said Harris had made unfounded allegations that armed men from a Minister's security detail had watched his apartment.

The statement also noted a release from the Presidential Secretariat, which said that Harris was a contributor for Jane's Intelligence Review.

"This disclosure in the Presidential press release only further confirms that the decision of the government not to renew Harris's visa is completely valid," it added.

The government's statement came just after the French media watchdog, Reporters Without Borders criticised the government's decision. The watchdog accused the authorities of a campaign of intimidation and quoted Harris as saying he felt targeted for critical reporting of the peace negotiations.

Harris had addressed Opposition Members of Parliament after he wrote a piece to Jane's.

The Sri Lankan Free Media Movement said it does not endorse Harris's campaign against the peace process and various links to political parties in Sri Lanka having entered the country as a journalist. However it said "we are opposed to the taking away of his right to practise as a journalist".

The Editors Guild of Sri Lanka in a letter to the Prime Minister noted that they have unconfirmed reports that Harris may have been engaging locally in political activity "not compatible with his legitimate responsibilities as a foreign correspondent based in Colombo".

The Guild however said that Harris is entitled to a fair inquiry where he is given an opportunity to meet any charges framed against him.

The Guild noted that "the good work done by your government to promote liberal-democratic media in this country by repealing criminal defamation laws and moving in the direction towards drafting new legislation to ensure media freedom through proposals media organizations which have won international acclaim, could now be sullied by this excessive exercise".

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