(FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 26 July 2005 FMM press release: Deputy Minister threatens media institutions in public The Free Media Movement strongly condemns the behaviour of Deputy Minister Mervin Silva on 25/7/05, where he used abusive language to threaten journalists and owners of a number of media organizations. The incident took place outside […]
(FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 26 July 2005 FMM press release:
Deputy Minister threatens media institutions in public
The Free Media Movement strongly condemns the behaviour of Deputy Minister Mervin Silva on 25/7/05, where he used abusive language to threaten journalists and owners of a number of media organizations.
The incident took place outside the Fort magistrates courts, where journalists had gathered to cover the Deputy Minister’s son being produced in court by police after an incident at a night club in Colombo. Apart from threatening journalists and media organization owners, the language used to do so cannot be accepted in any civilized society.
The public threats made by the deputy minister to two leading television companies, Sirasa TV and Swarnawahini, are a threat to free expression in the country. The Free Media Movement requests all those who value democracy and freedom of expression to condemn this behaviour.
The abusive language used by the deputy minister is both insulting and provocative. The Free Media Movement refrains from quoting what the deputy minister said because the words used are unprintable. The audacity of a deputy minister to threaten an owner of a media organization that he would be expelled from this country shows both his arrogance and ignorance.
The Free Media Movement accepts the right of any citizen to criticize the policies of media organizations, whether they are owned by the state or private individuals. However, this must done within the accepted norms of the democratic framework.
The Free Media Movements appeals to the leader of the People’s Alliance to take action against the deputy minister so that this kind of behaviour by politicians is discouraged. Ultimately, the negative fallout of this kind of uncivilised behavior will reflect on politicians and not the media.
Sunanda Deshapriya
Spokesperson, Free Media Movement
