RSF described Mr. Rajapaksa as a 'press freedom predator'

In a letter sent to Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the younger brother of Sri Lanka’s executive president, five media organisations have condemned his action to reprimand the journalist leaders.

Mr. Rajapaksa has reprimanded Sanath Balasooriya and Poddala Jayantha, the President and General Secretary of Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) for taking part in a protest against abducting and assaulting senior journalist, Keith Noyahr.

'Do not crticise' military

The SLWJA, Federation of Media Employees Trade Union (FMETU), Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum (SLMMF), Sri Lanka Tamil Journalists Alliance (SLTJA), and Free Media Movement (FMM) organised a protest march on Friday against the abduction.

Threats by Defence Secretary to union leaders quoted by media organisations • That it is unacceptable to criticise the armed forces whilst working in State newspapers. • That anyone other than the leaders of the armed forces can be criticised. • That the aim of our protest was to criticise the armed forces and that cannot be permitted. • If both journalists continue criticising the military, neither the Secretary of Defence nor the regime are in a position to prevent actions taken against them by groups / persons who revere the Army Commander. Five media organisations

The Associate editor and the defence columnist of The Nation, Keith Noyahr was abducted and brutally assault on Thurday night.

Accusing the government of being responsible for the abduction, media workers voiced strong objections against the conducted by the government against Tamil Tigers.

Sanath Balasooriya and Poddala Jayantha, both workers of state run Lake House, were among the leaders who protested the abduction on Friday.

Mr. Rajapaksa has warned the two leaders on Monday not to criticize the armed forces whilst working is sate owned newspapers.

'Press freedom predator'

“Lake House, is not State property or your own fiefdom and your assertion that journalists who work in State media cannot engage in the criticism of those in government and the armed forces is particularly revealing ” the statement by five media organizations said.

	Mr. Noyahr has criticised Sri Lanka Army commander

The powerful Defence Secretary was earleir accused of threatening Daily Mirror editor, Champika Liyanaarachchi, with death.

He was named, alongside LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran, as a 'press freedom predator' by Reporters Without Borders (RSF).

Lakshman Hulugalle, the Director of the Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) has told the journalists on Wednesday that two union leaders have no right to criticise government policy as government workers.

“We jointly and unequivocally condemn this statement,” said the statement.