Washington: The Sri Lankan government should immediately end its alleged post-election harassment of media outlets and ensure protection of journalists from any attack, an international human rights body said on Saturday.
The Human Rights Watch said since the Presidential Elections on January 26, Sri Lankan authorities have detained and questioned several journalists, blocked news websites, and expelled a foreign journalist.
At least one journalist has been assaulted and several have been threatened, it said in a statement.
Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa was re-elected to a second term in the election.
"Now that the President has been re-elected, there appears to be a settling of scores with critics of the government," Asia director at Human Rights Watch, Brad Adams, said.
"Just days after the election, some officials seem to be on a campaign to abuse their power," he said. On January 28, Sri Lanka's Criminal Investigation
Department arrested the editor of the 'Iridia Lanka' newspaper, Chandana Sirimalwatte.
According to news reports, he was questioned for two hours and detained for further questioning because of an article published on election day about a senior government official.
The Human Rights Watch alleged that Sri Lankan authorities have blocked access by Internet users to at least five news websites since the day before the election.
PTI
First Published: Saturday, January 30, 2010, 12:05