Sri Lanka business chamber condemns assault on media

May 28, 2008 (LBO) – Sri Lanka's main business chamber Wednesday condemned recent attacks on journalists and called on the government to bring the culprits to book instead of merely promising investigations. "The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce condemns these crude attempts at violating press freedom and implores that democratic principles relating to responsible coverage by the media are respected," it said in a statement.

The chamber called upon the law enforcement agencies to "expeditiously act" on complaints made on such threats, intimidation and violence, as it said public confidence depends on such action.

The Ceylon Chamber of Commerce said civil society has been viewing, "with mounting alarm and concern, the wanton attacks on media personnel."

It said threats and violence directed at journalists, including abductions and murder, unfortunately feature with increasing regularity in the news.

"The recent abduction and despicable assault of a respected Editor of a recognized newspaper, is yet another example of this growing threat."

The statement was referring to the brutal assault last week on a senior newspaper editor who had been critical of the military establishment in his writ