Opposition charges Govt. with suppressing media

Opposition lawmakers charged the Government yesterday in Parliament with suppressing media, preventing the progress of the ongoing search operations reaching the general masses, highlighting a recent letter issued by the Director General of Government Information Department Nalaka Kaluvitharana prohibiting all media establishments from publishing and broadcasting information on findings made by the security forces on the trails of terrorists who carried out Easter Sunday carnage.

United People’s Freedom Alliance (UPFA) lawmaker Wimal Weerawansa, referring to the recent meeting Kaluvitharana had with the heads of media establishments, instructing to stop showing the progress, said: “These people are trying to keep people in the dark. This never happened even during the times of war. The media was only advised to confirm the information they get from the Media Centre for the National Security. This Government has taken that into a whole new level, and is trying to block the media from the information which the people should be aware of.”

Weerawansa also warned the Government that if it tries to keep the mainstream media in dark, then the general public will begin to believe everything they see on social media. (AH)