Australian and UK Government: Demand Sri Lankan gov. protect rights of journalists like Dinouk Colombage

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This petition has been created by Prashanth C. and may not represent the views of the Avaaz community.

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Prashanth C.

started this petition to

Australian and UK Government

Having just emerged from a 30 year civil war, Sri Lanka stands on the brink of further sectarian violence. The only thing stopping them is a media willing to report on the truth and hold the government accountable. Unfortunately most media outlets are now government owned and those remaining journalists like Dinouk Colombage (Aus Citizen) are being persecuted and threatened with jail or unexplained disappearances.

Recently, two reporters from a government run newspaper have been spreading rumours that Dinouk and a BBC journalist are jihadists and calling for their arrest. 'White vannings' are a regular occurrence in Sri Lanka - activists and dissidents are taken in plain sight and never seen again.

See here for reporting:

https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/rajapaksa-state-media-editor-calls-for-al-jazeera-reporter-to-be-locked-up/comment-page-1/#comment-1358653

Please sign and share this petition with all your contacts. Sri Lanka is currently the chair of the Commonwealth Heads of Government and Australia, UK and other governments must continue to stand up for journalistic integrity.

Australian and UK Government: Demand Sri Lankan gov. protect rights of journalists like Dinouk Colombage

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