‘All must unite to protect media freedom, democracy’

JD members address the media briefing. Picture by Vipula Amerasinghe

It is the responsibility of everybody including journalists to protect the media freedom and democracy won on January 8, 2015 by defeating the previous Rajapaksa regime, Journalists for Democracy organisation (JD) said yesterday.

JD members were speaking at a media briefing at the Sri Lanka Foundation Institute yesterday.

Its members said journalists were killed, harassed and media institutions were attacked in the previous Rajapaksa regime and if SLPP candidate Gotabaya Rajapaksa comes to power, a similar situation can arise once again.

Co-convener of the Journalists for Democracy Sunil Jayasekera said that to protect democracy and the media freedom, it was imperative to defeat Rajapaksa at the upcoming presidential election and ensure a victory for NDF candidate Sajith Premadasa. Co-convener of the organisation Saman Wagaarachchi said people have not forgotten the killing of Lasantha Wickrematunge and attacks on journalists like Keith Noyahr, Upali Tennekoon, Poddala Jayantha and many others.

Wagaarachchi said many journalists including him had fled the country because of death threats they got in the previous Rajapaksa regime.

He said Gotabaya Rajapaksa was a dictator and it was important to defeat such people and support a democratic leader like Sajith Premadasa to ensure the country’s wellbeing.

Senior Journalists Thimbiriyagama Bandara, Deepthi Pramitha, the Secretary of the Lake House Jathika Sevaka Sangamaya Prasanna Deshapriya and several other journalists spoke.

 

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