Govt will not suppress media - Minister
Uditha Kumarasinghe and Nadira Gunatilleke
|
Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa |
COLOMBO: Information and Media Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa
yesterday said the Government has no intention whatsoever to suppress
journalists.
The Minister responding to a question raised by a journalist at
yesterday's Cabinet press briefing categorically denied the statement
made by the UNP Parliamentarian Dayasiri Jayasekera that the Government
has threatened 27 journalists.
The Government vehemently condemns this statement made by the UNP MP.
"These are totally fabricated stories created by the UNP to cover up its
internal crisis," he said. "As a democratic Government, we always
safeguard the freedom of expression of journalists and have no reason to
curb journalists."
"The people have placed a lot of confidence in Defence Secretary
Gotabhaya Rajapaksa as he is fulfilling his responsibilities
efficiently.
Therefore the UNP is attempting to tarnish the image of the Defence
Secretary by making various false statements against him and the Defence
Ministry."
When the Armed Forces are successfully fighting to eradicate LTTE
terrorism, the UNP makes various false statements to turn such military
victories in another direction, the Minister said. |
