A protest has taken place in northern province against repressions of the media despite government assurances of ensuring press freedom.
Marking International Press Freedom Day on May 03, the Jaffna media club organized the event.
Its chief Arumugam Sabeswaran alleged the day was being marked amid indirect media repression.
He urged the authorities to guarantee justice for murdered and missing journalists.
Media minister Bandula Gunawardena claimed at a media briefing the government has allowed freedom for the media without threats, harassments or intimidations.
While claiming the president has even amended the criminal defamation law that was against media freedom, the minister reminded journalists of their obligations to use that freedom with responsibility.
The agitating journalists in the north wore black headbands to protest the proposed anti-terrorism act.
Journalists for Democracy – Sri Lanka has detailed that 44 journalists had either been murdered or abducted during the period Gotabaya Rajapaksa was the defence secretary.
A majority of them were Tamils from the north, for whom justice is yet to be ensured with those responsible enjoying impunity from punishment, a number of global bodies and rights groups have stressed.
