UNP Parliamentarian Karu Jayasuriya said that Sri Lanka will be cornered by right thinking members of the international community and eventually this country will be blacklisted as a place where there is no media freedom or right to information.

Issuing a statement on the arrest of nine employees of the `Sri Lanka Mirror` and `Lanka X News` websites and the Police raid on the building where the two web sites were operated Mr. Jayasuriya stated: This behavior of the government will substantiate the idea that the government will only allow the publication of `sunshine stories` the stories which only serve the propaganda mechanism of the government and its allies.

If the government truly has an intention to thwart mud-slinging campaigns against particular individuals, that should start from state media institutions which have already become a safe heaven for those who conduct slanderous campaigns particularly against the opposition.

All in all, no right thinking person or political movement can justify this blatant crackdown on two news website and the arrest of nine journalists. Therefore, we urge the government to stop this shameless repression and restore media freedom, Mr Jayasuriya added.