News
Media slams govt.’s bid to use Emergency to silence critics
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.
A discussion between President Anura Kumara Dissanayake and senior officials of the Urban Development Authority (UDA) was held this afternoon (18) at the Presidential Secretariat.
The meeting focused extensively on new development projects planned by the Urban Development Authority. The President emphasised the need to ensure that the budgetary allocations made for these projects in the current year are utilised effectively within the same financial year.
Detailed discussions were also held on projects planned to be implemented jointly by multiple institutions, including the importance of holding consultations with all relevant agencies to reach final decisions and the need to clearly define responsibilities for each institution in both implementation and maintenance phases of the projects.
Attention was drawn to key initiatives such as the Kelani River flood control project, water management projects in Colombo city and the Beira Lake restoration project. The need for a dedicated programme for low-income housing in areas such as Ratmalana and Moratuwa was also highlighted. During the discussion, Minister of Transport, Highways and Urban Development Bimal Rathnayake underscored the importance of introducing a structured management framework for the effective coordination of certain projects.
Deputy Minister of Urban Development, Eranga Gunasekara, Secretary to the Ministry of Transport, Highways and Urban Development, Senior Professor Kapila C.K. Perera, Chairman of the Urban Development Authority (UDA), M.G. Hemachandra and the Heads representing the Urban Settlement Development Authority (USDA), Sri Lanka Land Development Corporation (SLLDC), National Physical Planning Department (NPPD) and the Condominium Management Authority (CMA) were also present at the meeting.
(PMD)
News
CEAT Kelani Branch Inter-Company Employees’ Union makes donation to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund
The Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the Kelaniya Branch of CEAT Sri Lanka has made a financial donation of Rs. 1,148,000.00, a day’s salary of its members to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund established to support the restoration of livelihoods and the rebuilding of areas affected by cyclone Ditwah.
Secretary of the Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the CEAT Kelani Branch, D.G.S.D. Navaratne, handed over the donation to the Chief of Staff to the President, Prabhath Chandrakeerthi at the Presidential Secretariat this morning (18).
Treasurer of the Inter-Company Employees’ Union of the CEAT Kelani Branch, Y.P.I.C. Karunathilaka, together with members of the Executive Committee, were also present on the occasion.
(PMD)
Latest News
Prime Minister off to the United Kingdom to participate in the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum
Prime Minister Dr. Harini Amarasuriya departed on an official visit to the United Kingdom to participate in the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) 2026 Board of Governors Meeting.
During the visit, the Prime Minister is scheduled to participate in several high-level academic and diplomatic engagements aimed at strengthening cooperation in the fields of education, development studies, research collaboration, and international partnerships.
As part of the visit, the Prime Minister will meet with Ms.Bridget Phillipson, Secretary of State for Education of the United Kingdom, at the UK Department for Education, to discuss areas of cooperation in education and related sectors. She is also expected to meet Ms.Yvette Cooper, Foreign Secretary of the United Kingdom, for discussions on matters of bilateral interest and cooperation between Sri Lanka and the United Kingdom.
In addition, the Prime Minister is expected to meet Ms.Shirley Ayorkor Botchwey, Secretary-General of the Commonwealth, on the sidelines of the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum and the Commonwealth of Learning (COL) 2026 Board of Governors Meeting.
During the visit, the Prime Minister will attend a public event at the Institute of Development Studies at the University of Sussex and she will also take part in the ceremony marking the 60th Anniversary of the Institute of Development Studies. The Prime Minister is also scheduled to address a session at the Oxford School of Global and Area Studies at the University of Oxford, followed by a question-and-answer session with scholars and students.
The visit is expected to strengthen Sri Lanka’s engagement with academic institutions, international development partners, and Commonwealth member states, particularly in the areas of education, research, policy dialogue, and capacity building.
[Prime Minister’s Media Division]
President meets senior officials of the Urban Development Authority
CEAT Kelani Branch Inter-Company Employees’ Union makes donation to the ‘Rebuilding Sri Lanka’ Fund
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Prime Minister off to the United Kingdom to participate in the 22nd Annual Commonwealth Education Forum
Steps initiated to safeguard Sri Lanka’s Maritime Heritage
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