The Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) has called for the immediate withdrawal of the draft bill to establish a regulatory authority for media professionals, warning that it is designed to suppress rather than protect press freedom.
In a statement issued recently (07), the association said that while the media community has long discussed the need for an independent body to safeguard journalists’ rights, the government’s proposal unveiled last week (05) reveals “an agenda rooted in media suppression.”
SLWJA stressed that any such authority must be independent and dedicated to promoting freedom, welfare, professionalism, ethics, and media education, not controlled by political interests.
The association pointed out several provisions in the draft bill that place the authority under direct government control. These include full powers for the Minister of Media to appoint an interim council, broad disciplinary powers to investigate “professional misconduct” and suspend journalists, and monopoly powers for the Minister to make regulations. The definition of “media professionals” in the bill also subjects writers, editors, announcers, publishers, owners, managers, and cameramen to the authority’s control.
SLWJA warned that the proposed structure would create “a police to punish journalists” rather than an institution to promote professionalism. It noted that the bill undermines independence by requiring ministerial approval for foreign aid and by mandating the authority to advise the Minister on media education.
The statement further criticized the government for attempting to introduce such legislation while simultaneously using laws like the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) and the Official Safety Act (OSA) against artists, writers, and journalists. It highlighted recent arrests of Tamil singers and youth, the seizure of Tamil writers’ books, and the summoning of editors exposing government misconduct to the CID.
“The winds of state suppression chasing journalists and media owners will only grow stronger if this authority is implemented under government control,” the association said.
SLWJA urged the entire media community, Sinhala, Tamil, and English, to unite in demanding a regulatory authority that operates within an independent framework, free from state interference. (Newswire)
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