“These elections are crucial for Sri Lanka’s future, but the elections will not be considered free and fair if there is no Media freedom,” Reporters Sans Frontiers said. “The government and opposition must, as a matter of urgency, undertake to guarantee that the media, regardless of their editorial line, will be free to go anywhere and interview whomever they want.

“The state-owned print media and TV stations must also provide balanced coverage, which is definitely not the case at the moment. By forcing the government media to campaign against the opposition, the president is putting journalists in danger, because they are being associated with him and his allies. The continuing ban on media visits to the North and the violence against state TV journalists at a meeting held by the opposition United National Party bode ill for the climate in which these elections will take place,” Reporters Sans Frointiers warned. 

Seven journalists working for the state TV stations Rupavahini and ITN were slightly injured and their equipment damaged when they were manhandled outside the location where the UNP held its annual convention on December 5.

UNP front-liner Ravi Karunanayake told Reporters Without Borders his party was not involved in the violence and pointed out that the journalists had not been invited to the meeting.

 “As long as the state media continue to issue biased reports of our activities, we will not invite them,” Mr. Karunanayake said. “We provided accreditation to about 100 journalists for this event and no one complained of any violence.”

The opposition has accused the government of orchestrating the incident for political purposes.