Pakistan Press Foundation (PPF) in a letter to Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister of Sri Lanka, expressed concern over the attack on Daya Neththasinghe, an environmental journalist and features editor for Sathhanda newspaper in Galle, Southern Sri Lanka.
PPF Secretary General Owais Aslam Ali in his letter urged the Sri Lankan government to investigate the attack at Daya Neththasinghe.
According to International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), on July 12, supporters of politician Piyasena Gamage assaulted Neththasinghe at a temple in Neluwa, Galle. Local authority invited him to share his views and opinion. He was discussing about the environmental impact of a power point and attacked rapidly when he raised negative implications of the mini hydro power plant approved in 2012. Several residents attempt to stop the attack and took Neththasinghe to Neluwa hospital.
Neththasinghe has always raised his voice about the environmental destruction caused by the plant in Dellawa village in Neluwa.
Journalists should not be attacked for expressing their views. The incident of assaulting of Daya Neththasinghe is a violation of freedom of expression.
