Sri Lanka slides to 127th position on press freedom index

COLOMBO (News1st): Sri Lanka has ranked 127th for press freedom this year, slipping down by one position from 2019, as Sunday marked World Press Freedom day. The press freedom index has been compiled by France based Reporters Without Borders, based on seven criteria including pluralism, independence, transparency, environment, infrastructure and abuses. Reporters Without Borders observed a "surge in cases of police harassment of journalists, including raids, interrogations and acts of intimidation" in Sri Lanka since last year's presidential election. The watchdog had earlier criticized a raid carried out a Colombo-based news website, soon after the poll in November last year, during which police searched the contents of its servers and computers. Media freedom worries resurfaced in April, after US-based Human Rights Watch raised concerns, citing a state order to arrest social media users who criticize the government's battle against the COVID-19 virus. Norway retained its top spot in the press freedom index since 2018 while North Korea which is under a "totalitarian regime" came in at 180th, dropping by one place from last year. Among SAARC member countries, Sri Lanka has been ranked fifth, with Bhutan securing the top slot in the region, while Bangladesh - with a global ranking of 151 - came in last.