Human Rights Watch slammed the Sri Lankan government's proposed new media code as "overbroad and vague language that could have a severe and chilling effect on free".
In a statement released earlier this week, HRW said:
"The proposed code comes at a time when the government has taken various measures to clamp down on Sri Lanka’s once vibrant media, including forcing some electronic media critical of the government to close down."
HRW's Asia director, Brad Adams, said:
“The government’s proposed media code is part of a sustained campaign to control the media and curtail dissent,”
“Sri Lankan journalists are already under enormous pressure not to be critical of the government, and the vagueness of this code will likely lead to greater self-censorship to avoid government retaliation.”
“The code would hand the Sri Lankan authorities a new tool to harass and threaten journalists who are already working in a very difficult environment.”
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