Govt safeguarding media freedom - Media Minister

Uditha Kumarasinghe and Irangika Range

KOTTE: Information and Media Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa yesterday told Parliament that the Government was safeguarding media freedom by allowing media personnel to independently perform their duties.

The Minister speaking at the Emergency debate said UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe was going from country to country and making statements on the violation of press freedom and fundamental human rights in Sri Lanka.

“I would like to tell the UNP leader that he should do politics in Sri Lanka. Otherwise the UNP will never be able to come to power.”

The Minister said the UNP makes statements in various places on the violation of media freedom.

According to the Minister, there are about 35 Sinhala, Tamil and English newspapers published daily and weekly. In addition, there are eight Sinhala television channels, four English television channels and two Tamil television channels. Nearly 20 radio channels are also operating in Sri Lanka. The number of news websites is 10.

In such a situation where a large number of print and electronic media are operating, Yapa questioned how the UNP could complain that there is no media freedom in Sri Lanka.

Even the Editor’s Guild has expressed that there is a media freedom in Sri Lanka, the Minister said.

The Government has not taken any steps to curb the country’s media freedom. The Government will always do its level best to safeguard media freedom and human rights, Yapa added.