Wickrematunga was the former editor of the Sunday Leader newspaper and also served as a Colombo District SLFP organizer as well as a secretary to former Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike.“Today we have created an era where journalists are not killed anymore and thus the pen has once again received its due prominence,” the minister said.

He added that Wickrematunga would have been happy with the media freedom journalists enjoy today.“The only delay now is in finding the killers behind Lasantha Wickrematunga’s murder. The police are conducting investigations and they will soon be brought before the law,” Minister Samaraweera said.

The Minister said that there have been times where murder investigations take 10 to 15 years but the police in this case were doing their best to complete it as soon as possible. Wickrematunga’s family members, ministers, civil society activists and ambassadors were present at the event.