Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa has called for an immediate end to the repression of the media by the current government and for the freedom of speech guaranteed by the Constitution.
He recalled the attack on Lake House journalist Maduka Thaksal, arrest of social media activist Ramzi Razik, arrest of Chathuranga Alwis, arrest of poet Ahnaf Jazeem, summoning of social activists such as Chirantha Amarasinghe, Sudaththa Thilakasiri, Keerthi Ratnayake, Asela Sampath, Shehan Malaka and Manorama Weerasinghe to the CID and tabled a list of such journalists and social activists in Parliament.
He also said that there were many complaints that journalists, social media activists, and website operators in the North and East were being threatened.
He also said that government ministers and MPs have repeatedly stated that new laws should be enacted to regulate social media networks and stressed that such things should not happen in a democratic society.
Sajith Premadasa made this statement in Parliament yesterday (22).