Journalists were forced out from a public consultative meeting about resettlement at the Jaffna District Secretariat on Monday.
Despite being invited to a public consultation with Sri Lankan minister for resettlement, D. M. Swaminathan, journalists were told to leave the meeting before discussion began, reportedly at the behest of the Government Agent.
Although Mr Swaminathan announced that the meeting was to hear the needs of those awaiting or expecting resettlement, his words were directly followed by his staff member ordering journalists to leave the auditorium.
Journalists criticised the conflicting claims made by the organisers, initially that the meeting was a public one to which media had been invited, and then that the meeting was a confidential one with selective participants, including members of the military and former members of parliament.
After ejecting journalists from the auditorium, officials placed the closed doors under police guard.
Photograph @mayurappriyan
Tamil Gaurdian