Journalists from South meet counterparts in North to build reconciliation

Minister of Parliamentary Reforms and Mass Media Gayantha Karunathilaka Saturday led a group of journalists from the South to the North to show solidarity with the journalists of the North and build a bridge of goodwill and national reconciliation.

The 128-member delegation from the South to Jaffna included the Minister, the Deputy Minister the heads of state media institutions, media representatives, and electronic, print and web journalists.

The delegation travelled to Jaffna from Colombo by the Yal Devi train picking up journalists at Kurunegala, Anuradhapura, Vavuniya and Kilinochchi stations. The group was accorded a warm welcome at the Jaffna Railway Station by the journalists of the North.

In Jaffna, the delegation met the Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran, Northern Province Governor Reginald Cooray and religious leaders.

Yesterday, the journalists visited Nagadeepa Viharaya, Nagapooshani Temple, the Jaffna library and the Sri Lanka Air Force base at Palaly, and also visisted media institutions Valampuri, Uthayan, Thinakkural and Dan TV.

The media delegation also met the families of the journalists yesterday, and motorcycles were distributed among the Northern journalists under the program launched by the Media Ministry to provide motorcycles to journalists at concessionary prices. A contribution was also made to the Jaffna library, it was reported.

The convener of the Action Committee for Media Freedom Freddie Gamage told BBC Sinhala that a special meeting between the heads of the security forces and journalists in Jaffna will be held today to discuss the oppression the northern journalists have to endure. The discussion will focus on the issues they faced during the previous regime, he added.

Speaking to the media, Minister Karunathilake said that the concept of the tour to bring together the media personnel was initiated by him and the Deputy Minister Karunaratne Paranavithana in collaboration with various media organizations in the hope that the media will play a vital role in promoting national reconciliation.