No killings, abductions, arrests and assaults against journalists but threats in June in Sri Lanka

(July 12, 2010, Colombo - Lanka Polity) Following is the report regarding press freedom in the month of June in Sri Lanka issued by a media organization and we believe this report is sent to international organizations to base on these facts in lobbying for freedom of expression. Although there are no killings, abductions, arrests and assaults, the report is full of other incidents.

Monthly report No 06; period covered June  2010

Killings:

1.     June 2010                     -  No killings of media personal reported

Abductions:

2.     June 2010                     - No abductions of media personal reported

     

Arrests:

3.     June 2010                     - No arrests of media personal reported

Assaults:

4.     June  2010                    - No assaults of media personal reported

Threats:

5.     28 June 2010      - Political witch hunt launched against CEO of Lankaenews

State media launched a political which hunt against CEO ofwww.lankanewsweb.com  Chandima Withanaarachchi. The web site publishes critical content has been banned by Government of Sri Lanka for past year.

http://sunandadeshapriya.wordpress.com/2010/06/28/political-witch-hunt-launched-against-ceo-of-lankaenews-web/bbb

6.     27 June 2010      - TU leader forced to resign

Trade union leader Sanjeewa Samarasinghe of Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited resigned form his job due to threats coming form higher authorities. Sanjeewa Samarasinghe is the secretary of Jathika SevakaSangamaya, a trade union affiliated to main opposing party UNP.

http://www.lankanewsweb.com/Sinhala/news/2010_06_28_005.html

7.     25 June 2010      - Rivira Editor becomes victim and loses job and salary

Rivira Editor, Upali Tennekoon, who fled to the US with his wife following a brutal attack on him it to be sacked from his job by the new administration at the newspaper organization.

 http://www.lankanewsweb.com/news/EN_2010_06_26_001.html

8.     24 June 2010      - A mad slinging journalist gang against Sri Lanka – state media

It has been reported that ten media personal, who have left the country on many pretexts and applied for political asylum are engaged in a conspiracy against Sri Lanka.These persons are in close contact with INGOs which are trying to instigate UN against war crimes in Sri Lanka. They have received many privileges because of these contacts.

read the original story here : http://www.silumina.lk/2010/06/20/_art.asp?fn=aa1006204

9.     22 June 2010      - Sinhalese with LTTE leader photo further remanded

Puththa’lam Magistrate Monday ordered further remand till June 30 for a Sinhalese civilian Amarasingha Chandana when he was produced from prison on a charge that he was carrying a photograph of LTTE leader VelupillaiPirapaharan.

http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=32034

10. 19 June 2010      - Screen of the film hall torched

On 19th  an unidentified group torched the giant screen at the Shanthicinema, a day before the Tamil version of the movie Raavan (Raavanan) was screened. The movie’s main stars Abishek Bachchan, Aishwarya Rai and its director Mani Ratnam were among those who did not attend the IIFA ceremony in Colombo.

http://sunandadeshapriya.wordpress.com/2010/06/20/iifa-row-hits-batti-in-dramatic-scene/

11. 08 June 2010      - Eknaligoda’s colleague under threat

A group of unidentified men had broken in to the residence of a colleague of missing Lankaenews journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda, who was involved in media and propaganda activities with him, Disnendra Perera on the 31st. The group had broken in to the house with the intention of abducting Perera.

http://www.lankanewsweb.com/news/EN_2010_06_07_006.html

12. 06 June 2010      - Threats to lankaenews

          The threats on the Lankaenews website have recommenced with the government       now receiving the cooperation of the landlord of the office premises rented out by the      website. http://www.lankanewsweb.com/news/EN_2010_06_09_006.html

Censorships:

13. 26.June .2010     - Church demolished

About 100 police officers who had arrived at a Christian church in Rajagiriyaalong with officials from Defence Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa’s Urban Development Authority (UDA) and had demolished the church yesterday (25).

http://www.lankanewsweb.com/news/EN_2010_06_26_008.html

14. 20 June 2010      - Call to ban Tamil Nadu films

An unidentified group has called on theatre owners in Batticaloa to refrain from screening movies produced in Tamil Nadu in a move to hit back at Indian film stars who boycotted the recent IIFA awards ceremony in Colombo.

http://sundaytimes.lk/100620/News/nws_03.html

Exiled:

15. June 2010            - Two more journalist left the country

A Programme producer of state controlled TV station left the country because of  death threats. He has been receiving continuous threats since January.

A Tamil newspaper cartoonist form Jaffna left the country for  safetyreasons.

Both of them reached their destinations safely.

Releases:

16. 21 June 2010      - Safe Passage for Tissainayagam Just One Step Toward Free Media in Sri Lanka - IFJ

The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is relieved that J.S.Tissainayagam is safe, following more than two years of an ordeal in which the Sri Lankan Tamil journalist was accused, charged and tried for terrorism for his journalistic reporting on human rights issues.http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/safe-passage-for-tissainayagam-just-one-step-toward-free-media-in-sri-lanka

17. 19 June 2010      - Freed Sri Lankan journalist Tissainayagamarrives in U.S.- CPJ

          The Committee to Protect Journalist welcomes the arrival in the United States of Sri   Lankan journalist J.S. Tissainayagam, who arrived at Washington’s Dulles   International Airport on Saturday morning.

          http://transcurrents.com/tc/2010/06/freed_sri_lankan_journalist_ti.html

18. 16 June 2010      - Journalist Escapes Abduction, Unidentified assailants tried to abduct - IFJ

Mawbima reporter Disnendra Perera at his Colombo home in Sri Lanka on May 31, according to local news reports. Perera, a close colleague of missing Lanka-e-News journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda, reported receiving death threats from unknown people demanding he give them a file of documents they claimed Eknaligoda had given him. http://asiapacific.ifj.org/en/articles/colleague-of-missing-journalist-under-threat-in-sri-lanka

Protests:

19. June 2010           -  No media protest were reported during the month of June.

Notable developments:

20. 30 June 2010      - Visa's of Non Violence Peace Force staff terminated

On 26^th June 2010 Controller of immigration  ordered the country director and coordinator of Non Violence Peace Force (NVPF) Colombo office to leave the country by 30^th June 2010. No reasons were given for the termination of their visas. In recent past  NVPF played a vital role in providing in country safety for human rights defenders including journalists. Both of them were given one week more to hand over their responsibilities and both of them left the country on 7^th July 2010. Newspapers reported that both of them have been declared persona non grata by  government of Sri Lanka.

21. 24  June 2010     - POLICE OFFICER APOLOGISES TO MP ROSY SENANAYAKE IN SC-( Right to protest)

A chief police inspector apologized to the UNP parliamentarian Rosy Senanayake in the Supreme Court today.He was the first respondent named in a petition filed by Ms. Senanayake claiming that her fundamental rights had been violated.The petition stated that when Ms. Senanayake was gtakinpart in a protest campaign ‘Jana Bala Kahala Nadaya’, organized by the United National Party on June 03, 2008 against the escalating prices of goods, the police officer had insulted her in foul language.

http://www.newsfirst.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11566:police-officer-apologises-to-mp-rosy-senanayake-in-sc&catid=1:latest-news&Itemid=18  

22. 14 June 2010 `- NGO Secretariat under Defence Ministry now

The NGO Secretariat which was previously operated under the Social Services Ministry and thereafter the Internal Affairs Ministry now comes under the purview of the Defence Ministry, following the new Parliament taking office.

http://www.dailymirror.lk/print/index.php/news/front-page-news/13101-ngo-secretariat-under-defence-ministry-now-.html

23. 13 June 2010      - SUSIL KINDELPITIYA RELEASED ON SURETY BAIL

The Colombo High Court today ordered that journalist Susil Kindelpitiya be released on surety bail in Rs. 50,000.High Court Judge Deepali Wijesunderamade this order after taking into consideration the submissions forwarded by attorney at law Shanaka Ranasinghe, appearing for Mr. Kindelpitiya and the state counsels.( Susil Kindelpitiya is former news director of MTV/Sirasa TV channel)

 http://www.newsfirst.lk/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=11240:susil-kindelpitiya-released-on-surety-bail&catid=97:news-items-2&Itemid=294

You may also like to visit our Sinhala Blog W3Lanka

Idiaminization and de-democratization in Sri Lanka

(January 29, Colombo - Lanka Polity) The post-war Sri Lanka has moved into a post-presidential Sri Lanka. Main stream media is highly defensive in reporting and some pro-opposition media outlets are facing severe challenges. 'Lanka-e-News' website was illegally sealed by a group yesterday, said the staff that went there to report to duty. Criminal Investigation Department visited the office of 'Lanka' newspaper run by People's Liberation Front (JVP) and the editor is asked to report for recording a statement regarding an article related to Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa.

Opposition presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka has sought asylum in foreign soil while claiming the government has blacklisted his passport. The government says he plotted to assassinate the ruling family. The plot described by the Director General of the Media Center for National Security seems very naive. Booking hotel rooms and arresting of several Army personnel said to be deserters do not provide gullible evidence. However, no legal action is taken. Why? 'I don't know why?' a famous Sinhala song says. 

State media continues vilifying the opposition candidate. A term that can be coined to introduce this campaign is 'idiaminization' i.e. portraying Fonseka as Idi Amin. But this Idi Amin won the confidence of at least 40% of those who voted at the presidential. 

We used the phrase 'at least' since Fonseka claims victory alleging government subtly manipulated the result. The major media in Sri Lanka today is gossip and a wide spread opinion is observed regarding rigging the election based on rumors spread island wide. The opposition leaders too repeat the gossip and no concrete fact is produced to prove the allegation so far. No authority either local or international is ready to admit the allegation that is not backed by concrete evidence. 

Anyway, people will lose confidence regarding elections and democracy if the politicians allow the rumor to consolidate. 

Alarming Abuse of State Media Ahead of Sri Lanka Elections

(January 23, Colombo - Lanka Polity) The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is greatly concerned that state-owned media in Sri Lanka has acted with extreme partisanship in the run-up to the country’s presidential election on January 26.

This contravenes a ruling from the country’s highest judiciary and is in defiance of the directives of the Commissioner for Elections.

The IFJ learns with alarm that the Commissioner for Elections has cancelled the mandate of the “Competent Authority” designated to monitor compliance with basic norms of fairness in all state-controlled media institutions during the election process.

He has also announced his intention to resign after the election, following widespread defiance of his rulings by government agencies.

President Mahinda Rajapakse’s principal opponent, Sarath Fonseka, asked the Supreme Court early this month to order state-owned media to follow basic norms of fair coverage. The direction was issued but has been unheeded.

At the same time, there have been increasing reports of violence breaking out in the course of the election campaign, with media personnel targeted by both sides.

“With polling day just four days away, it may be too late for state-owned media to correct the biases in a manner that would make a meaningful difference,” IFJ General Secretary Aidan White said.

“But we do expect the President to explicitly disavow the blatant partisanship that the state-owned media has exhibited and to distance himself from the violence that has been inflicted on media personnel.”

The IFJ’s recently released report of a press freedom mission to Sri Lanka recommends among other things that specific norms on fair and non-partisan coverage for the presidential elections be implemented well before polling day.

Sri Lanka’s five main professional bodies of journalists also petitioned the Government to enforce such a code of conduct well before the election.

“The IFJ regrets that these perfectly reasonable democratic demands have gone unheeded,” White said.

“Unfortunately, the conduct of state agencies provides little room for a mood of truth and reconciliation to prevail after the elections are concluded.”

To read Key Challenges for Media after War’s end: Report of the International Press Freedom Mission to Sri Lanka, click here.

IFJ Condemns Vilification of Lawyers for Sri Lankan Newspaper

(July 14, 2009) The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) is shocked at a recent article posted on the website of Sri Lanka’s Ministry of Defence, branding as “traitors” five lawyers appearing in a case of contempt involving the Sunday Leader newspaper.

The article, titled “Traitors in Black Coats Flocked Together”, names five lawyers who appeared for the Sunday Leader at a hearing in the Mount Lavinia court near Colombo as having “a history of appearing for and defending” separatist guerillas of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). The article features pictures of three of the lawyers.

“We have observed in recent times that this manner of public vilification of individuals for being supposed sympathisers of the LTTE has often provoked physical attacks on them by vigilante groups,” IFJ General Secretary Aidan White said.

“The IFJ calls upon the Sri Lankan President to publicly repudiate the sentiment expressed in the article and ensure that it is removed from the official website of the Defence Ministry.”

The Sunday Leader, edited by Lasantha Wickramatunge until his murder in January, has for long been locked in a defamation case brought by Sri Lankan Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse.

After Wickramatunge’s murder, the newspaper agreed during a hearing of the case that it would not publish material similar to that which had brought the action against it.

The contempt case that the Sunday Leader now faces reportedly involves another report involving the Defence Secretary, though on a different subject.

“It is a principle of natural justice that the newspaper should be able to seek sound advice and be represented by competent legal counsel in this case,” White said.

The IFJ stands by the strong stand taken by its affiliate, the Free Media Movement (FMM), and other professional bodies in Sri Lanka on the matter.

“We urge Sri Lanka’s President to turn the page on the bitterness of the long civil war against the LTTE and actively seek to restore the freedoms that have deteriorated alarmingly in recent years.”