The Sri Lanka Working Journalists’ Association (SLWJA) has strongly condemned the government’s decision to summon two BBC Sinhala Service journalists before the Parliamentary Privileges Committee, describing it as media repression and a threat to freedom of speech.

Issuing a statement the SLWJA said BBC producer Ishara Dhanasekara and journalist Sampath Dissanayake have been ordered to appear before the committee at 2.00 pm on July 23, following a complaint lodged by MP Lakmali Hemachandra and under the directive of the Speaker.

The summons is linked to BBC Sinhala’s coverage of a meeting of the Women Parliamentarians’ Caucus, which questioned officials of the National Child Protection Authority (NCPA) over delays in police investigations into allegations of child abuse against the Atamasthanadhipathi of Anuradhapura, Venerable Pallegama Hemarathana Thera.

SLWJA said the Caucus is an informal body without legal authority, and that summoning journalists for reporting on its proceedings is “a serious threat to freedom of speech and media independence.”

The association accused the government of attempting to cover up failures and irregularities by curtailing press freedom and intimidating journalists through misuse of parliamentary privileges. “This marks yet another dark stain in Sri Lanka’s history of media repression,” the statement read.

SLWJA urged the government and parliamentary authorities to immediately withdraw the measures and called on all media, civil organizations, and citizens to resist what it described as a repressive approach undermining democracy and transparency. (Newswire)

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The Sri Lanka Working Journalists’ Association (SLWJA) has called on President Anura Kumara Dissanayake to immediately intervene following what it described as inhumane and unlawful harassment of journalist Lahiru Doloswala and his family by military and police personnel.

According to the association, Doloswala, Web Editor of The Morning, was driving home with his wife and two children on July 15 when his vehicle was struck by a Land Cruiser belonging to the Army Commander’s escort. When he attempted to record the incidenLahiru Doloswalat, a commando officer allegedly threatened him and ordered him to stop filming, leaving his family traumatized.

The SLWJA said Doloswala later faced intimidation at the Welikada Police Station, where around 30 military personnel arrived and obstructed him from filing a complaint. Although a statement was eventually recorded, the association claims it was distorted under pressure, and video evidence on his phone was forcibly deleted.

“The mental trauma inflicted upon Mr. Doloswala and his family during this four‑hour ordeal has still not subsided,” the letter stated, adding that such actions show the collapse of the rule of law and a slide towards anarchy.

The association urged the President, as Commander‑in‑Chief, to launch a formal inquiry against the military officers involved and to ensure strict disciplinary action. It also requested that the SLWJA be kept informed of steps taken to safeguard media freedom and civil rights. (Newswire)

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The Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) has called for the immediate withdrawal of the draft bill to establish a regulatory authority for media professionals, warning that it is designed to suppress rather than protect press freedom.

In a statement issued recently (07), the association said that while the media community has long discussed the need for an independent body to safeguard journalists’ rights, the government’s proposal unveiled last week (05) reveals “an agenda rooted in media suppression.” 

SLWJA stressed that any such authority must be independent and dedicated to promoting freedom, welfare, professionalism, ethics, and media education, not controlled by political interests.

The association pointed out several provisions in the draft bill that place the authority under direct government control. These include full powers for the Minister of Media to appoint an interim council, broad disciplinary powers to investigate “professional misconduct” and suspend journalists, and monopoly powers for the Minister to make regulations. The definition of “media professionals” in the bill also subjects writers, editors, announcers, publishers, owners, managers, and cameramen to the authority’s control.

SLWJA warned that the proposed structure would create “a police to punish journalists” rather than an institution to promote professionalism. It noted that the bill undermines independence by requiring ministerial approval for foreign aid and by mandating the authority to advise the Minister on media education.

The statement further criticized the government for attempting to introduce such legislation while simultaneously using laws like the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and the Official Safety Act (OSA) against artists, writers, and journalists. It highlighted recent arrests of Tamil singers and youth, the seizure of Tamil writers’ books, and the summoning of editors exposing government misconduct to the CID.

“The winds of state suppression chasing journalists and media owners will only grow stronger if this authority is implemented under government control,” the association said. 

SLWJA urged the entire media community, Sinhala, Tamil, and English, to unite in demanding a regulatory authority that operates within an independent framework, free from state interference. (Newswire)

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The Sri Lanka Working Journalists’ Association (SLWJA) has strongly condemned the actions of Presidential Media Advisor Chandana Suriyabandara, accusing him of obstructing, assaulting, and intimidating two Lake House journalists covering the ongoing ‘Ehipassiko’ Monk Peace Walk.

In a letter addressed to President Anura Kumara Dissanayake, the association described the incident as “thuggish and atrocious conduct” and said it reflected the government’s media policy. 

“We urge your immediate attention to halt such thuggish acts that utilize state power to suppress media freedom in Sri Lanka, and we request that you ensure a conducive environment where journalists can perform their duties with professional dignity,” the letter stated.

The SLWJA further alleged that the assault was part of a broader pattern of repression, linking it to restrictive laws such as the Prevention of Terrorism Act and the Online Safety Act.

“The Sri Lanka Working Journalists’ Association stresses that it is not the media or journalists of this country that should be suppressed by your state, but rather officials such as your Media Advisor, who continue to carry out such thuggish acts, thereby bringing disrepute to the state,” the Association added. (Newswire)

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