Sri Lanka Journalists condemn Govt. NGO directive
- Tuesday, 08 July 2014
The Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) is disturbed by the Sri Lankan Government’s banning of Non Governmental Organizations from ‘conducting press conferences , workshops , journalism training and dissemination of press releases’. The NGO directorate of the government which issued the latest decree today ( 7) comes directly under the purview of the ministry of defence.
The latest directive is ludicrous at its best and dangerous at its worst – It is a clear attack on freedom of expression enshrined in the country’s constitution and highlights Sri Lanka’s slide towards authoritarianism. Arbitrariness with which it was announced vindicates the government’s contempt towards the very fundamental rights of the citizens.
The latest directive came after several NGO workshops, most recently one conducted by the local Chapter of Transparency International were stormed by the government’s supporters.
A free discourse among all stakeholders of society is imperative for a democratic and healthy society. The government’s latest directive is a sinister move that is aimed at silencing some of those voices.
We strongly call upon the government to rescind the blatantly undemocratic and unconstitutional decree and urge the decent freedom loving people of this country to condemn the latest government initiative that would further stifle country’s persecuted civil society.
