Support by the general public as far away from the capital as Ampara indicated a change in public opinion, says the SLWJA

The protest was supported nationwide apart from Wanni and Jaffna, Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) president Sanath Balasuriya told BBC Sandeshaya.

The SLWJA launched the campaign against increasing threats to media personnel in Sri Lanka.

No government support

The campaign urges authorities to speed up investigations over attacks on media, arrest criminal gangs that threaten media freedom, safeguard media freedom in order to save democracy, create conditions for the media to report without fear and not to victimise the families of media personnel.

	Sri Lanka is rated as the third dangerous country in the world for media

Parliamentarians and Provincial Councillors from opposition parties and trade unionists have joined the campaign to send telegrams to President Rajapaksa.

The government earlier appointed a ministerial committee to look into threats against media but no politician from the governing coalition supported the campaign.

However, huge support for the campaign by the general public indicated a complete shift in public opinion on freedom of expression, SLWJA General Secretary Poddala Jayantha told BBC Sandeshaya.

Press freedom 'predators'

At least twelve media personnel were killed during the last three years in Sri Lanka.

Opposition politicians, trade unionists and general public supported the campaign but there were no government politicians

Many other journalists were abducted, assaulted and threatened but the perpetrators of those crimes are yet to be brought to justice.

The Defence Ministry and Army commander Lt. Gen. Sarath Fonseka are accused of creating a climate of fear for journalists by calling those criticise the war as "traitors".

International watchdogs have Sri Lanka on the third place among the most dangerous countries in the world for media.

Paris based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) described Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa and LTTE leader Velupillai Prabhakaran as "press freedom predators".