Sri Lanka will deport two international media activists for allegedly flouting visa rules, authorities here said today.
International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) representative for Asia-Pacific region Jacqui Park, an Australian national, was taken into custody by immigration officials, Sri Lankan media watchdog Free Media Movement (FMM) said.
She and another female activist are to be sent back for indulging in professional work while visiting on tourist visas, immigration officials said.
However, FMM spokesman Sunil Jayasekera said Park was not engaging in any media work but was meeting her friends in the local media. "She was meeting with us at a hotel in Colombo while on holiday," Jayasekera said.
Brussels-based IFJ has over the years worked closely with Sri Lanka's media groups. Sri Lanka has received international attention for continued incidents of harassment of media personnel.
UN human rights chief Navi Pillay warned in August that the country was becoming "increasingly authoritarian" and rights activists and journalists were "often attacked or even permanently silenced".
