Friday Dec 19, 2025
Friday Dec 19, 2025
Friday, 19 December 2025 00:02 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}
The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka (TEGOSL) has expressed its grave concern regarding two recent incidents that have an adverse effect on the freedom of expression and media freedom in the country.
The first instance was the summoning of the Editor of the ‘Aruna’ newspaper by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to record a statement, on its own premise, that a news item published on 19 November 2025 in the newspaper was ‘false.’
The Editors’ Guild notes that the letter summoning the Editor had ignored the basic information of mentioning as to who had lodged the complaint whilst disregarding the basic internationally recognised method of correcting a purportedly erroneous news item published in a newspaper. This includes the opportunity for the virtual complainant writing directly to the Editor and/or making a complaint to the Press Complaints Commission of Sri Lanka to obtain redress.
The second incident was a statement made by Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala before a group of Police officers, instructing them to take action on those who ‘defame’ the President, considering them as ‘accused’ under the Emergency Regulations. The said statement made in the presence of the Deputy Minister of Media contradicts an earlier statement made by the President himself that Emergency Regulations will not be used for any other purpose other than the management of the disaster situation and, therefore, anyone is free to criticise. This indicates that different politicians are interpreting the Emergency Regulations promulgated by the President according to their whims and fancies.
The Editors’ Guild is of the view that the Deputy Minister’s statement gives a dangerously misleading signal to the Police to abuse the Emergency Regulations by taking criminal measures against media institutions and journalists.
TEGSL said it notes with concern that the two above-mentioned incidents carry a chilling effect on the freedom of expression and media freedom in the country and therefore strongly urges the Government to prevent the recurrence of such in the future.
