Ranil's threat to journalist has created fear psychosis in society

The threat made by UNP and Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe to Lankadeepa Journalist Dayaseeli Liyanage for writing an article about the agreement reached between Tamil National Alliance leader R. Sampanthan and NDF Presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka has created a fear psychosis in the civil society, a UPFA Presidential Election Campaign Office statement said yesterday.

Liyanage had written the article about the agreement with the TNA after interviewing Sampanthan and it was published as a full interview she had with him. Wickremesinghe had threatened Liyanage at a UNP rally in Embilipitiya inciting his party members against the journalist.

His tone exceeded the norm of a usual speech and the threat he made to get the Lankadeepa Office surrounded by his party people is one of the most terrible statements made by a Sri Lankan political leader, the statement said.

Liyanage had resigned from her job and is living at an undisclosed location as there is a threat to her life after Wickremesinghe's outburst as it has become very clear that the Opposition has aligned itself with anti-national forces and journalists who write about such pacts are under the threat of the NDF campaign persons supporting Fonseka.

Under the circumstance, journalists lives' could be threatened and we request all journalists to oppose such malicious threats to civil society, the statement said.