Several journalists and photographers, representing leading English and Sinhala print and electronic media, who had been invited to cover the press briefing of Mayanmar Deputy Foreign Minister and Sri Lankan Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama, had to leave the Foreign Ministry in disgust as a high official at the last minute decided not to hold the press briefing as scheduled.

On January 23, a lady official of the Foreign Ministry’s Communications Unit, had informed all news editors that Mayanmar Deputy Foreign Minister and Sri Lankan Foreign Minister would hold a media conference on January 23 at 10.30 a.m. at the Ministry’s auditorium.

Therefore, journalists and photographers were at the Foreign Ministry on time and had been kept waiting in the rest room for about two hours. Although it was 11.30 a.m. nobody took notice of them and the media personnel became restless. Some media personnel asked the Foreign Ministry media personnel whether the media conference would be held or not.

The Communication officials was asked whether the press briefing would be held or not. She told the media that she was not aware of any press briefing and wanted to confirm it with the Minister. When Minister Bogallagama came to the Ministry late, the media personnel were informed that there would be no media conference.