Government questions media role during Aragalaya

The Government today questioned the role played by the media during the Aragalaya protests last year.

Media Minister Bandula Gunawardena said that he has questions over the role played by the media when property belonging to politicians were attacked in May last year and one Parliamentarian was also killed.

Gunawardena said that President Ranil Wickremesinghe has taken steps to safeguard media freedom in Sri Lanka.

He said that the President has even allowed the media to report against him.

However, Gunawardena said that there are questions over the role played by the media when protesters attacked property on 9th May 2022, killed a politician and attempted to storm the Parliament building.

Gunawardena expressed these views while speaking at the post Cabinet press briefing held today.

Today, 3rd May, is World Press Freedom Day which is observed to raise awareness of the importance of freedom of the press and remind governments of their duty to respect and uphold the right to freedom of expression enshrined under Article 19 of the 1948 Universal Declaration of Human Rights and marking the anniversary of the Windhoek Declaration, a statement of free press principles put together by African newspaper journalists in Windhoek in 1991. (Colombo Gazette)