petition against the press council

8/14/2019 Petition Against the Press Council

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Petition against the Press Council

The Governments determined effort to re introduce the

Press Council Bill is to stifle and suppress further the

media freedom. This, in other words is another step toundermine and plunder the citizens right to

information. As a responsible citizen of this country it

is your duty to rally round against this obnoxious trend.

A golden opportunity is right at your doorstep now to

demonstrate your solidarity with us by subscribing to

this campaign against media suppression and

repression. Please place your signature hereunder

signifying your support to the cause of media freedom,

and peoples right of expression and to information.

29th Sept. 2009

His Excellency, the President Mahinda Rajapakse,

The President of the Democratic republic of Sri Lanka

Presidents Secretariat

Colombo 01.

His Excellency, the President,

We, the law abiding citizens of Sri Lanka enumerate

below the reasons in support of the cause of media

freedom which is an indispensable ingredient of a

Democratic society.


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1. We hereby express our displeasure against themeasures being taken by your Excellencys Govt.

to re introduce the Press Council Bill whereby

Journalists can be imprisoned.

2. Based on an unwritten sacred agreement aroundthe period 2002/ 2003 among political parties in

Parliament, Authors, professional journalists,

media personnel, their representatives and media

organizations, the Press Council was rendered

defunct by a self governing media apparatus,which was also to be further spread and promoted.

3. A press complaints Commission, that is, aconciliatory Commission was established with a

majority of non media representatives under Sam

Wijesinghe as its President in 2003 underArbitration Act 1995 (2) for settlement of

disputes.

4. The Press complaints Commission has examinedover 700 complaints, and took measures to settle

disputes. Indeed, all the media Organizations who

have signed below, worked in co ordination andco operation with the Press Complaints

Commission. Its rules and regulations were

adhered to.


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5. The Commission formulated policies, and a codeof conduct and ethics in regard to publication of

newspaper publications, authors, Editors and

members of the Editorial guild. Our publications

too followed the Press complaints Commissionpolicies and principles.

6. It is our belief that you are aware the Sri LankaPress complaints Commission was established to

provide relief to those who are afflicted and/or

aggrieved by media releases and publications.

7. It is a widely and well known fact that the SriLanka Press complaints Commission is

functioning without straining the national

economy and is dispensing justice expeditiously

too on behalf of the people.

8. While your Excellency is making openannouncements that every measure will be taken

to protect and promote media freedom and

Democracy in the country, the attempts to resume

the Press council defeats the very media freedom

professedly advocated and undermines all what

Democracy stands for.

9. We therefore urge your Excellencys Govt. torevoke the draconian Press Council Act 1973 (15)

while supporting the existing self governing


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machinery regarding the media control, like in

other advanced Democratic countries.

10.We, the undersigned kindly urge your Excellencyto implement , fortify and protect the sacred rightof expression and right to information of the

citizens vested in them under the Sri Lankas

constitution like in India, Pakistan, China,

Indonesia, Thailand and hundreds of other

countries around the world , instead of the

draconian laws under the Press Council Bill.

Yours truly,

No. NameOrganization

/ Vocationsignature

At the conference held on 29th Sept. 2009 at the JR

Jayawardena center, Colombo 07, before a huge

gathering ; political leaders, civil society activists and

several others endorsed this petition by placing theirsignatures


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petition against the press council

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