File photograph. STF troops in Jaffna, 2017.
Sri Lanka’s Special Task Force has deployed troops to state media institutions: Lake House; Rupavahini; Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation; and ITN; as well as to the Attorney General’s Department and the Department of Government Printers, claiming that this is to bolster 'security'.
State media agencies were among the first institutions to be taken under the control of the de facto Rajapaksa-Sirisena government, with Rajapaksa supporters taking the institutions by force within hours of him swearing-in as prime minister last month.
Journalists and media workers said they were thinking of quitting their jobs as a result of the political interference.
The Sri Lankan president plunged the country into crisis over two weeks ago with his attempts to replace the prime minister Ranil Wickremesinghe with former president Mahinda Rajapaksa.
After purportedly failing to secure enough crossovers for parliamentary backing for his move, President Maithripala Sirisena announced the dissolution of parliament on Friday, with a snap election to be held on January 5.
The president defended his decision on Sunday stating that reconvening parliament would have led to clashes.
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