US urges Govt. to allow NGOs to operate freely

Thursday, 10 July 2014 00:37 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

The US Government has urged the Government of Sri Lanka to allow civil society and NGOs to operate freely in the country, after the Defence Ministry on Monday sought to ban associations registered under its National NGO secretariat from holding press conferences and workshops. US State Department Spokesperson Jen Psaki said the United States is concerned by reports that the Ministry of Defence has ordered registered Non-Governmental Organisations (NGOs) and civil society groups to cease their media engagements and activities. “This order undermines Sri Lanka’s longstanding and proud democratic traditions, including freedom of speech and freedom of assembly,” Psaki said in a statement issued from Washington DC yesterday. “We strongly urge the Government of Sri Lanka to allow civil society organisations and NGOs, which play a vital role in supporting Sri Lanka’s democratic values, to operate freely,” the Spokesperson said.

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