PM summon media heads

Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe says he plans to summon the owners of local media to warn them against attempting to create communal disharmony in the country.

Speaking at an event today, Wickremesinghe said that he will also invite media rights groups to attend the meeting for them to raise concerns they have over the owners of the local media. “If any media head does not come ill see to it,” he said. He also urged the public to stage an “occupy” style protest at the office of any newspaper if it promotes hatred among communities. The Prime Minister said that some Sinhalese language newspapers have been publishing reports which give the impression that there is an attempt by the LTTE to revive its activities in Sri Lanka. Wickremesinghe also alleged that some newspaper owners have been backing former President Mahinda Rajapaksa and are now looking to discredit the new Government. He said that some newspapers had attempted to remove him from politics but they failed over the past 10 years and later they attempted to ensure Mahinda Rajapaksa won the Presidential elections last month, but he lost.