ECONOMYNEXT – Anuruddha Lokuhapuarachchi, a former Reuters’ photojournalist who fled Sri Lanka in the face of threats 17 years ago has been appointed as Director of International Media and Strategic Communications at President Anura Kumara Dissanayake’s Media Division.
Lokuhapuarachchi worked with the Reuters news agency for nearly two decades. He was forced to flee the country under former president Mahinda Rajapaksa regime in 2008.
The veteran journalist who holds an honorary degree in photography and digital imaging is credited with introducing digital photography to Sri Lanka’s print media industry.
Lokuhapuarachchi, one of the most skilled photo journalists Sri Lanka has produced, sought asylum in the United Kingdom amid intimidation after a Sinhala daily newspaper accused one of his photographs of being a threat to national security at the height of the last phase of 26-year civil war.
Later some people, claiming they were from the Criminal Investigation Division (CID), entered his house on December 11, 2007, interrogated and intimidated his wife.
He was forced to flee the country in the face of fear for his life when journalists critical of the then government faced “white van abductions”.
Lokuhapuarachchi returned to the country after President Dissanayake was elected.
Along with Lokuhapuarachchi, senior journalist Chandana Sooriyabandara, appointed as the Media Advisor to the President.
Sooriyabandara is popularly known for his leading role in the Sinhala version of ‘who is the billionaire?’ programme in local television Sirasa.
Meanwhile Prasanna Perera, who holds Postgraduate Diplomas in Communication from the University of Sri Jayewardenepura and Mass Communication from the University of Kelaniya, has been appointed as the Director General of the President’s Media Division (PMD). (Colombo/February 25/2025)