• Govt. prepared to act on RTI amendments if media seeks stronger commission: Dep. Min. 

Alleged plans to amend the Right to Information (RTI) Act have triggered growing concern among media organisations and civil society groups, amid fears that proposed changes could weaken the RTI framework and undermine the independence of the RTI Commission. 

The controversy emerged following a meeting held last week between media organisations and Deputy Minister of Mass Media Dr. Kaushalya Ariyarathne, during which discussions reportedly centred on broader media policy matters alongside possible amendments to the RTI Act. 

The Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) subsequently issued a strongly worded statement, warning that any attempt to restrict public access to information would be met with a major protest campaign involving civil society groups and media organisations. 

According to the SLWJA, the Government appeared to be attempting to weaken the RTI Commission under the guise of amending the RTI Act No.12 of 2016. The association claimed that the move could gradually cripple the commission and push it towards institutional collapse. 

The association further alleged that the RTI Commission was already facing a severe operational crisis, including staff shortages, a lack of legal experts to prepare directives and judgments, and delays in decision-making due to the absence of the commission’s full five-member composition. 

It also warned that Government institutions were increasingly showing less regard for the commission’s authority, raising concerns that public institutions could eventually stop cooperating altogether. The association further alleged that information requested from the Presidential Secretariat was being withheld, forcing citizens and journalists to pursue legal action to obtain it.

A media representative who participated in the discussion and spoke to The Sunday Morning on condition of anonymity said concerns had also been raised regarding the expertise of commissioners appointed to the commission. 

The representative noted that previous commissioners largely came from legal backgrounds, whereas there were fears that future appointments from civil society may not possess sufficient legal expertise to draft detailed directives and judgments. 

The representative also highlighted difficulties in attracting qualified individuals to the commission due to low remuneration and restrictions preventing commissioners from engaging in other professional work while serving in office. Commissioners reportedly receive between Rs. 80,000 and Rs. 90,000 monthly despite the rising cost of living. 

Although the Government had reportedly proposed amending the act to increase commissioner remuneration in line with other commissions, concerns were raised that reopening the legislation could create opportunities to dilute the powers of the RTI framework. 

“There is a fear that once the act is opened, even for salaries, space is created for weakening the law,” the representative said, adding that many public authorities remained resistant to the RTI framework due to the obligations imposed on them to disclose information. 

Concerns were also raised regarding possible conflicts between the RTI Act and newer legislation, including the Personal Data Protection Act (PDPA). Participants reportedly suggested that instead of amending the RTI law, authorities should focus on proactive disclosure mechanisms and digital systems that could reduce the workload of public authorities and improve public access to information. 

However, Dr. Ariyarathne strongly denied allegations that the Government intended to curtail the right to information or weaken the RTI Commission. 

Speaking in Parliament on Wednesday (20), Dr. Ariyarathne said that recent discussions with media representatives had primarily focused on the development of a National Media Policy, which she argued was necessary to strengthen media freedom and media rights protections. 

She said that while the RTI Commission had faced operational challenges during its decade of existence – including staff shortages and infrastructure issues – the Government was already taking steps to address them by recruiting new officers and digitising the RTI application process to allow applicants to track requests online.

The Deputy Minister further said that a new commissioner had already been appointed and that the Government was exploring ‘proactive disclosure’ methods through technology to release information before formal requests were even made. 

“If the media community or civil society requests legal amendments to further strengthen the RTI Commission after its decade of operation, the Government is prepared to act. This is what I said during the meeting,” she said. 

Dr. Ariyarathne also accused certain organisations of spreading misinformation regarding the Government’s intentions, suggesting some groups were facing an ‘identity crisis’ because the current administration had moved away from an era associated with media repression and violence. 

Meanwhile, award-winning journalist and RTI activist Rahul Samantha Hettiarachchi also raised concerns regarding the deteriorating condition of the RTI framework, warning that although the right to information still formally existed, the institutions responsible for protecting that right were becoming increasingly ineffective.