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Media Release<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n February 4, 2026<\/strong><\/p>\n Freedom of Expression and Online Safety in Sri Lanka<\/u><\/strong><\/p>\n The Federation of Media Employees\u2019 Trade Unions (FMETU) reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the freedom of expression<\/strong> and the right to information<\/strong>, as guaranteed by Article 14 of the Constitution of Sri Lanka. We believe that a robust, independent media\u2014spanning traditional print, broadcast, and digital platforms\u2014is the “Mahagedera” (Ancestral Home) of a functioning democracy.<\/p>\n While we recognize the need to protect citizens from genuine online harms such as child exploitation and financial fraud, we strongly oppose any legislative framework that uses “safety” as a cloak for state-sponsored censorship<\/strong>.<\/p>\n \u00a0Concerns Regarding the Online Safety Act (OSA)<\/strong><\/p>\n Since the enactment of the Online Safety Act in 2024, the FMETU has observed with grave concern the “chilling effect” it has cast over the Sri Lankan media landscape. We highlight the following critical issues:<\/p>\n The Call to Action<\/strong><\/p>\n The FMETU, in solidarity with the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), calls upon the Government of Sri Lanka and the relevant Ministry of Mass Media to:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u00a0Our Commitment to the Future<\/strong><\/p>\n The FMETU will continue to empower its members through training in digital safety and legal literacy. We stand ready to provide legal assistance to any member of the media fraternity whose rights are infringed upon by the overreach of the OSA.<\/p>\n “Information is a public good, not a state-controlled commodity.”<\/strong><\/p>\n Thanking You,<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Tharindu Uduwaragedara<\/strong><\/em>\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0\u00a0<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n General Secretary <\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n Tharindu Uduwaragedara\u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 \u00a0 <\/strong><\/em>\u00a0 General Secretary<\/strong><\/em><\/p>\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Media Release February 4, 2026 Freedom of Expression and Online Safety in Sri Lanka The Federation of Media Employees\u2019 Trade Unions (FMETU) reaffirms its unwavering commitment to the freedom of expression and the right to information, as guaranteed by Article 14 of the Constitution of Sri Lanka. We believe that a robust, independent media\u2014spanning traditional […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":11118,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"inline_featured_image":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-11116","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-latest-news","category-uncategorized"],"yoast_head":"\n\n
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