Secretary of the Ministry of Mass Media and Information Charitha Herath has said BBC correspondent for Sri Lanka Charles Haviland was denied of visa as per the visa policy of the government for foreign correspondents bases in Sri Lanka.

"Visa policy for foreign correspondents is maximum five years. Some of them are here more than 9, 10 years," Herath tweeted today when asked about the matter by several journalists.

He said he would post the policy on the website of the Ministry of Mass Media and Information on Monday. "These are country specific matters," the Secretary said.

A member from the Foreign Correspondents Association in Sri Lanka told 'Asian Mirror' that they were totally unaware of this visa policy enforced by the Ministry of External Affairs. It also gives rise to  the question as to how some foreign correspondents in Sri Lanka, as the Secretary of the Media Ministry points out, are allowed to operate in Sri Lanka "for more than 09, 10 years"!