These allegations must be immediately investigated by the relevant authorities and action taken against perpetrators without fear or favour. But I am also disturbed with the virulent personal attacks by individuals linked to the JO and the SLPP in a bid to intimidate journalists who worked on the NYT report, attacking them for doing their job in reporting hugely questionable transactions amounting to billions of rupees that occurred under the Mahinda Rajapaksa regime.

As Media Minister, I vehemently condemn such practices where journalists are attacked for doing their job. There must be an immediate halt to these practices. Further, the SLPP leadership must take full responsibility for these attacks and ensure that there is no repetition of this behaviour.

This government came into power with the promise of media freedom and to break away from the violent tendencies of the previous government. The dark years of the Mahinda Rajapaksa presidency witnessed the highest number of journalists killed, disappeared, attacked and threatened and media houses attacked. We will not return to those dark years where individuals were targeted for unveiling the truth and reporting facts. We now have a government that respects fundamental freedoms and civil liberties and upholds media freedom. This government reiterates its commitment to ensure that all

journalists are safe to do their work, even when that means brooking scathing criticism against this administration by the media. Those who threaten our rights and freedoms must be condemned and held accountable for their actions.

M.Ali Hassen
Director of Information
Ministry of Finance and Mass Media