SAFMA begins ….

Local Media minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa inaugurated the IV SAARC Journalist Summit of the South Asian Free Media Association –SAFMA in Colombo on Wednesday.
Around 130 local and foreign Journalists attended the media summit and highlighted grievances on media men in the Asian region and said most of Journalists were killed and harassed by the Para military forces and separatists.
Speaking at this occasion Sri Lankan media minister Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said the government has taken positive steps to look after local media men and already appointed a special committee made up of ministers to look into the complaints of journalists. This is an additional bodies set up as institutional safeguards against rights violations.
“Our system in short though imperfect is certainly less compromised in its imperfection than most other nations facing similar threats and endowed with problems associated with development lag, he said.
He said local media industry was liberalized by the government .The government has taken the form of encouraging private media organizations and creating conditions for their development. With 14 television stations , 32 radio stations and 23 news papers with nation-wide circulations, with the private media out numbering state media with ever-expanding internet access, with the proliferation of news related websites. State media cannot lie and get away it, he said.
He further said media has played a crucial role. On the one hand, it has empowered the people by providing necessary information and cogent analysis of economic , political and social processes ; and on the other , responsible sections of the media.
He said the SAFMA has reiterated its commitment to playing a progressive role in the region’s development.
Addressing the occasion president of the SAFMA Laxman Gunasekara said Journalists of the Asian Region face similar things, but work together to achieve a common goal.
“War, violence, harassment, assault or killing of journalists are common things, but we have to avoid this situation, he said.
Secretary General of the SAFMA Imitiaz Alam said journalists also face travel restrictions among the SAARC countries.
“We must ease these restrictions with the help of SAARC heads, he said,.
Mrs.Sadaf Arshad said most of journalists in this region face various threats .She also presented a detailed country reports on media harassments, rights violations and killing of media men in the region. The SAFMA plans to declare its declaration at end of the four-day summit.