Senior journalist Bingun elected Free Media Movement President

Newly appointed FMMTU President Bingun Menaka Gamage (centre)

By Susitha Fernando

Senior journalist and former Lankadeepa investigative reporter  Bingun Menaka Gamage was unanimously elected as the President of the Free Media Movement Trade Union (FMMTU), media freedom watchdog comprising of large number of journalists. 

Along with Bingun, among the other Office bearers elected at the Annual General Meeting for the year 2026/2027 are: Lasantha de Silva as the General Secretary,  Sujeewa Senarath as the Vice President, Chandani Dissanayake vice secretary, Ananda Jayasekara treasurer, R. Ramkumar as  deputy treasurer and National Organiser Asela Kuruluwansa. 

Journalists Dileesha Abeysundara, Sunil Jayasekara, Shan Wijetunga, Udaya Kalupathirana, Priyatharshan Weerarajan (Central Province), Shanmugam Thawaseelan (Northern Province), Manula Wickrema (North Central Province), Nayanajeeva Bandara (Uwa Province), Sarath Weerawansa (Sabaragamuwa), Mangalanath Liyanarachchi (Eastern Province), Jayasiri Peduruarachchi (Southern Province) were appointed to the Working Committee of the FMMTU. 

The panel of moderators are Anton Marcus, Anupa Nandula, Dr. Viranjan Herath, Manjula Vidanagamage.

Started in 1991, FMMTU is formed by a group of journalists and media personnel as a reaction to the then government of Sri Lanka. The organisation has been actively involved in the struggle for the media freedom, defending the rights of journalists and media personnel. It also has developed an extensive network of links with other media freedom and human rights groups locally and internationally.