Published 29/09/14
Updated 17:30 BST 01/10/14
Sri Lankan authorities have sabotaged a journalism training program set to take place in a resort in Negombo, reports the Associated Press and Reuters.
Action Committee for Media Freedom, an umbrella media rights group, said that the owner of the resort was threatened by plainclothes police officers against letting the workshop go ahead.
The owner of the Negombo workshop did not allow the workshop to take place and returned the advance payment to the Professional Web Journalists Association.
The group which had organised the workshop on digital security and ethics for online journalists, condemned the incident, saying the government intends to frighten independent journalists and stifle media freedom.
Police spokesperson Ajith Rohona denied any police involvement in the incident.
'Sri Lanka continues to intimidate journalists' – TNA MP (05 August 2014)
Tamil media oppression is state sponsored - Bishop of Mannar (03 August 2014)
Journalists protest against media repression in North (31 July 2014)
Jaffna Press Club Statement on harassment of Tamil journalists (29 July 2014)
US concern about intimidation of journalists (28 July 2014)
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
