German Ambassador Ploetner: Investigations must lead to results
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Meeting with the Sri Lanka Working Journalists' Association and the Free Media Movement
(© German Embassy Colombo)
In the wake of the arson attack on the office of the Lanka E-News website the German Ambassador Jens Ploetner met with representatives of the Sri Lanka Working Journalists' Association and the Free Media Movement when he reiterated Germany's firm conviction that a free and independent press is essential to any democracy.
Ambassador Ploetner welcomed the thorough investigation ordered by President Rajapaksa into the incident and added: "Any appearance of impunity must be avoided. Too often, investigations in cases involving journalists have not lead to any results. It is in the well-understood interest of any democracy that journalists can work free of intimidation, fear or threat".
(February 2011)