Journalists protest minister’s threats
Sri Lanka's journalists protested constant threats to media personnel by deputy minister Mervyn Silva in Colombo.
Journalists representing Free Media Movement (FMM), Sri Lanka Working Journalists’ Association (SLWJA), Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance, Sri Lanka Muslim Journalists’ Society and Trade Union Alliance for Media Workers (TUAMW) on Wednesday urged the authorities to stop constant threats by the minister. FMM convenor Sunanda Deshapriya said the journalists would not stop protests until the minister resigns from his parliamentary seat. Politicains of both parties are continuously threatening journalists who do not dance into their tunes, General Secretary of the TUAMW Dharmasiri Lankapeli told BBC’s Elmo Fernando. Assault on police He said the country is facing an anarchic situation due to the inaction of the police against politicians. Deputy Minister for Labour Relations and Foreign Employment Dr. Mervyn Silva on Monday accused journalists of running a mafia. In an interview with BBC Sandeshaya (BBC Sinhala) he accused the Sirasa and Swarnavahini media institutions of trying to break the cease fire between the government and the Tamil Tigers. He has threatened the journalists in front of Colombo Fort police station on Monday, when they tried to take photographs of his son. The police on Monday released Malaka Manoj Silva, son of the minister, and two others who were arrested at the night club in Taj Samudra hotel last week for assaulting and threatening to shoot police officers. Re-appointed A wounded police officer has been admitted to hospital and one more reported to be suffering from head injuries. The officers of the Police Narcotics Bureau were assaulted allegedly by the minister’s son when the police raided the night club on suspicion that some club-goers were in the possession of narcotics. Mervyn Silva earlier resigned from his deputy ministerial portfolio after his son was accused of involving in a brawl in a night club. He was re-instated as a deputy minister by President Chandrika Kumaratunga in a cabinet reshuffle last week. Dr. Silva, who lost the general elections in April 2004, was later appointed as a member of the parliament from the national list by the president.