The situation report issued by the Disaster Management Center at 0600hrs today [5th December] confirms that 486 persons have died and another 341 persons are missing after the devastating weather conditions in the past week.

171,778 persons have been displaced and have taken refuge at 1,231 safety centers established by the government.

Media organisations have denounced Deputy Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Sunil Watagala after he urged law enforcement authorities to use emergency regulations to take action against those posting allegedly defamatory content about the President and senior ministers on social media.

The Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) yesterday issued a strongly worded statement condemning Watagala’s remarks, warning that they posed a direct threat to freedom of expression and media rights, particularly at a time when the country is struggling through a national disaster.

Watagala made the controversial comments on 2 December during a meeting at the Malabe Divisional Secretariat attended by government officials and Deputy Media Minister Dr. Kaushalya Ariyarathna. During the discussion, the Deputy Minister claimed that a coordinated effort was underway to spread distorted or false information about the disaster situation through physical means, social media, and even AI-generated content. He also alleged that individuals based overseas were contributing to such activity.

According to the SLWJA, Watagala went further, directing police officers present at the meeting to treat those posting such content “not merely as suspects but as offenders” and to take action against them under emergency regulations currently in force.

The SLWJA accused the government of abandoning the democratic principles it once campaigned on, noting that individuals who publicly championed free speech in the past were now attempting to clamp down on it. The association said this was not an isolated incident but part of a pattern of growing state pressure on journalists and media platforms over the past year.

It warned that attempts to criminalise commentary through emergency powers especially during a disaster constituted a grave violation of constitutional rights. The union urged the government to respect democratic freedoms and refrain from using disaster-related powers to silence criticism.

In a separate statement, Internet Media Action (IMA) also expressed “strong objection” to Watagala’s comments, describing them as a “serious threat to freedom of expression”, which it said is a fundamental right guaranteed to all Sri Lankan citizens.

The IMA said Watagala’s assertion that “malicious character assassination attacks” were being carried out against the President and others through social media or other media channels, and that such acts should attract severe punishment under emergency law, represented “an abuse of power”. The organisation also criticised the Deputy Minister’s claim that false opinions or misrepresentations whether physical, online, or generated by AI could not be permitted.

Using emergency regulations imposed for disaster management to suppress political criticism amounted to “theft of fundamental rights”, the statement said, adding that the move was aimed at deliberately restricting dissent and instilling fear among social media users.

“Criticism is not a crime,” the IMA said, warning that such rhetoric could lead to widespread intimidation and self-censorship among digital activists and ordinary citizens.

The group demanded that Watagala withdraw his statement unconditionally and insisted that freedom of expression cannot be curtailed under emergency laws or any other legal framework. It also called on the government to clarify its stance on the protection of fundamental rights amid increasing concerns from civil society.

Sri Lanka’s disaster situation has reached critical levels, with more than 1.8 million people affected due to prolonged adverse weather conditions between November 16 and December 4, according to the Situation Summary Report issued yesterday evening by the Disaster Management Centre (DMC).

The report notes that 509,680 families have been impacted, while 481 deaths have been officially recorded. Another 345 individuals remain unaccounted for.

The highest number of affected families are reported from Puttalam (92,665), Gampaha (78,620), Colombo (79,794), Badulla (12,274) and Ratnapura (17,537). Overall, 1,967 houses have suffered total destruction while 50,173 homes have been partially damaged.

As at 6.00 p.m. yesterday, 48,559 families—totalling 171,492 people—remained in 1,236 designated safe centres across the country. Badulla, Puttalam, Gampaha, Nuwara Eliya and Kegalle districts continue to house the largest displaced populations.

DMC officials said continuous rainfall led to flooding, earth slips, water contamination, infrastructure disruption, and road inaccessibility in multiple districts. Several road segments in Anuradhapura, Badulla, Ampara and Gampaha were reported partially submerged as of yesterday evening.

Meanwhile, water levels of major reservoirs have risen sharply, prompting controlled spill releases at a number of locations. Among them are Victoria, Randenigala, Polgolla, Rajangana, Bowatenna, and Udawalawe reservoirs.

The National Building Research Organisation (NBRO) yesterday issued landslide warnings for parts of Badulla, Kandy, Ratnapura, Kegalle, Nuwara Eliya and Matale, urging residents to remain alert.

DMC Deputy Director J.G. Jayaratne said priority was being placed on relocation support, emergency health access, and restoration of damaged utilities. He added that emergency teams have already been deployed to high-risk areas, with food, water supply and temporary shelter facilities being supplemented.

He urged local authorities to expedite clearing of drainage networks to avoid secondary flooding from expected rainfall in the coming days.

The DMC noted that assessments on agricultural losses, infrastructure damage and livelihood impacts are ongoing. Further updates are expected today following meetings with provincial disaster coordinators.

By Ifham Nizam