Chamikara WEERASINGHE

The Sri Lanka Freedom Party in a press statement condemned the actions of Minister Mervyn Silva and his men at the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) yesterday where he allegedly intimidated its news director.

SLFP Secretary General Maithripala Sirisena said that he would not approve of actions of this nature at any cost.

“I personally think that the strongest possible action should be taken against those responsible for this act,” he said. The Secretary General said that he would submit a report on the incident to the party’s Central Committee on January 2.

The unfolding drama was telecast live, unedited, by the SLRC itself and several other networks. A senior minister said this was indicative of the Government’s commitment towards press freedom. “No blackout was imposed.” He said the authorities also did not use force to disperse the crowds.

The incident took place at 10 a.m. when Minister Silva stormed into the news department of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation, reportedly with some of his personal bodyguards, to confront the Corporation’s News Director T.M.G. Chandrasekera over not telecasting his voice cut through Rupavahini, sources at Rupavahini Corporation said.

Chandrasekera said Silva and his men physically assaulted him after entering his department stating he would oust him from Rupavahini Corporation for not telecasting his (Mervin Silva’s) voice cut at a meeting in Matara.

“I went to our chairman’s office upon being threatened and assaulted by Minister Silva and his men, who came and dragged me from the chairman’s office,” he said.

Silva later went into the Chairman’s room, which was surrounded by employees. He was escorted out of SLRC by senior Army and Police officials after expressing regret. Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardane was at the scene, urging employees to remain calm. He condemned the incident.

Cinnamon Gardens Police have launched an investigation into the incident Minister Silva admitted himself to Merchant Ward of the Colombo National Hospital after he was manhandled by SLRC employees.