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)