John regrets losing temper with media
Tourism Development and Christian Affairs Minister John Amaratunga regretted last Thursday’s incident where he was compelled to ask journalists to leave his residence.
He said the new found press freedom is being abused by a section of the media to bring the government into disrepute.
He said some journalists have no respect for the truth nor the basic decency to report on facts, the Minister’s media secretary and former Western Provincial Minister Lawrence Madiwela said in a statement clarifying the circumstances that led the minister to respond to the journalists at the time.
Madiwela said a meeting was held at his residence at Kandana to discuss waste disposal at Muthurajawela premises and its impact on the environment with the residents in the area.
“No journalist was invited to cover this meeting and it was open only for members of the organization protecting the Muthurajawela wetlands”, Madiwela in his statement said.
He said that Minister Amaratunga was compelled to ask the journalists to leave his residence as they were posing the same issue repeatedly with a hidden agenda in mind.
(Source: Daily News)
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Hon John Amaratunge,
Regrets, of course, regrets are always there.
John, don’t you think it is time to go? You are a bit of of a dinosaur who is unable to accept new age reality. Those days of ‘get out’ are now gone. There are many young people representing the media on the streets and they ask extremely valid questions.
John, many of the questions which young folks ask are annoying you because you belong to a generation of leaders who were primarily “DEAF” and who did not know what it is to “LISTEN”.
So John, I strongly suggest that you and your leader, Hon RW, it is time for you to call it day.
Goodbye John, may God bless you.
Excellent comment by Kneeranjala,
We need a Si Lankan “Macron – French President” or “Justin Truedeau – Canadian PM” or a “Leo Varadkar – Ireland’s PM, Age 38, son of Indian Migrant, openly gay” to lead us; youthful, energetic, easy-going and incorruptible, a youthful leader who can listen to the masses.
The dinosaurs who continue to thrive in corruption and who are DEAF to the cries of the masses should promptly retire.