Narrow effort to win elections by suppressing public’s right to expression

Colombo, Jan 22 (Daily Mirror) - Government’s move to pass the Online Safety Bill in Parliament this week and to bring repressive laws to take the country into a dictatorship is a narrow effort to suppress right to expression in winning the upcoming election, leading media and civil society groups voiced their opinion yesterday.

Media, Civil Society and Trade Union Collective to Rise against Oppressive Laws issuing a joint statement to the media through the Free Media Movement (FMM) and Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) said through a repressive law like the Online Safety Bill, which is to be passed in the House with amendments tomorrow and day after (23 - 24) to suppress public’s right to expression, right to organize and space for civil activities is contrary to the basic values of democracy.

The statement undersigned by over 50 leading media organizations, trade unions and civil society groups as well as over 50 individual media personnel, senior academics and activists have stated, the forthcoming election is crucial for the country as its going to be held following a people’s struggle that triggered over an unbearable pressure mounted on the public, to demand a system change and democratic governance that is not corrupt and people-friendly.

“It is essential to ensure that the next election is free and fair, providing a public platform for debate and discussion without any censorship to access information that is accurate, balanced, impartial and non-partisan. All opportunities should be guaranteed for the ruling party as well as for the opposition parties to inform their ideas and policies to the public,” it said.

“We, as citizens express our grave concern about the attempts by the government led by President Ranil Wickremesinghe to take the country into a dictatorship by bringing repressive laws. We firmly believe a President who was not elected through a public mandate and a parliament consisting of rejected public representatives does not have a moral right to pass repressive legislation and impose new laws.

The Online Safety Bill presented by the government was challenged before the Supreme Court by 45 petitioners. At the outset of the hearing, the Attorney General’s Department submitted over 32 amendments to the bill. Following the hearing, the Supreme Court determined that 31 clauses needed to be amended.

The Asian Internet Coalition, consisting of world-renowned companies, pointed out to the subject minister in two long letters; one before the Supreme Court determination and another followed by, that the principles of international regulation had been violated by the bill. We believe that there is no requirement for a draft bill to control the internet as the country has enough legislation in place to counter crimes occurring on the internet.

If the government still attempts to present the bills by ignoring all these factors, we urge the progressive MPs of the ruling party as well as all MPs in the opposition to defeat them at the second reading.

Some of the organizations signed to the statement representing the media, civil society, and trade unions are, Free Media Movement, Sri Lanka Working Journalists’ Association, Young Journalists’ Association of Sri Lanka, Media Law Forum, Law and Society Trust, Association of Health Professionals, Sri Lanka Postal and Telecommunication Service Union, All Ceylon Management Service Officers’ Union, South Asia Free Media Association, Ceylon Teachers’ Union, Free Media Movement Trade Union (FMMTU), Ceylon Teachers’ Union, Federation of Media Employees Trade Unions (FMETU), Muslim Media Forum and Jaffna Press Club.