Media slams govt.'s bid to use Emergency to silence critics

Media organisations have denounced Deputy Minister of Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Sunil Watagala after he urged law enforcement authorities to use emergency regulations to take action against those posting allegedly defamatory content about the President and senior ministers on social media.

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The Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) yesterday issued a strongly worded statement condemning Watagala's remarks, warning that they posed a direct threat to freedom of expression and media rights, particularly at a time when the country is struggling through a national disaster.

Watagala made the controversial comments on 2 December during a meeting at the Malabe Divisional Secretariat attended by government officials and Deputy Media Minister Dr. Kaushalya Ariyarathna. During the discussion, the Deputy Minister claimed that a coordinated effort was underway to spread distorted or false information about the disaster situation through physical means, social media, and even AI-generated content. He also alleged that individuals based overseas were contributing to such activity.