Marikkar says SJB to go to court against proposed Broadcast Authority Bill

SJB MP warns if enacted legislation will be another tool of Govt. repression Says new term ‘national economy’ is being used to suppress people and media Calls it dictatorial exercise and attempt to plant stories to distort the minds of people

As the Government gears up to present the new Broadcast Authorities Bill seeking to regulate broadcasters in the country, Samagi Jana Balawegaya (SJB) deputy national organiser S.M. Marikkar yesterday said it is to become yet another tool of Government repression.

Marikkar warned the country will soon face a far worse economic situation, creating a wave of public opposition against the Government. “It is to control this that they are attempting to bring this legislation now,” he said. The SJB MP said his party will go to court against it.

The MP said the rulers have forgotten the reason the ‘ Aragalaya’ took place and are now attempting to govern the country as a dictatorship after suppressing the citizen’s struggle.

“First they brought in a Rehabilitation Bill. I went to the Supreme Court. The Bill was thrown out. Next, they tried to bring in the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Failed. Next the Central Bank Act. That too followed suit. Now they are attempting to bring in the Broadcast Authority Act,” he said.

The MP said Governments to date have attempted to suppress the media and the people by using the term ‘national security’. “Now they have brought in the new term ‘national economy’. It has not been given any interpretation. No action was taken against those who destroyed our economy. But now the Government is attempting to bring in the Bill to suppress the media, journalists, and reporting and to control the citizen’s right to information. The Government wants to plant news stories and distort the minds of the people. It is a dictatorial exercise,” he said.