Unidentified men try to gain access to Xposure News office

By Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana  

Amidst attempts to suppress media personnel covering the aragalaya, a group of men in plain clothing claiming to be police had tried to gain access to the Xposure News office and it’s journalists on Wednesday.  

Three men who had come around 11.00am to the eight story building at Malalasekara Mawatha in Colombo 07 had inquired details of Xposure News media personnel from the security officer at the entrance.  

A member of the Xposure News told the Daily Mirror yesterday that the unknown men had shown several photographs of persons to the security officer of the building and had asked whether they work in the premises.  
The security officer who was new to the establishment had reportedly denied any knowledge of the persons in the photographs or their whereabouts.  

He had later told the Xposure staff that the unidentified men had also asked to see the CCTV footages of the building and its entrance, which he had refused saying permission is required from the management of the building.  
The men who had remained for about an hour at the premises had left saying that they will be back.  
Xposure News which has a news website and a YouTube channel made a series of live coverages on the midnight attack made by the security forces on the peaceful protesters on July 22. 

 
Three Xposure journalists Rasik Gunawardena, Chaturanga Pradeep Kumara and Shabeer Mohamed were carrying out coverage of the sudden attack and they were all assaulted and manhandled by forces personnel during the incident.  

Two of the three journalists received minor injuries whilst journalist Chaturanga Pradeep Kumara sustained serious injuries to the head during the assault and was admitted to Colombo South Hospital in Kalubowila.  
Independent protester Vimukthi Dushantha of the Black Cap Movement issuing a statement on the Xposure News incident yesterday said that state sponsored intimidation of media personnel is increasing day by day.