Public Service Media Award Ceremonies held for Provinces

 
(17th DM)   
The Public Service Media Award Ceremony for upholding diversity, patience and human rights covering Sabaragamuwa, Central, North – East and Uva provinces was held recently.
Three provincial media personnel of the Wijeya Newspapers Ltd., won awards and two of them were from the Daily Mirror newspaper. Matale Lankadeepa correspondent M.W. Somaratne won the award for human rights reportage and Dambulla Lankadeepa correspondent Kanchana Kumara Ariyadasa for Public Service reportage. Matale Lankadeepa correspondent Nimal S. Bogahawatta came second and Gaya Wanniaracchi of Lakbima newspaper came third in Public Service reportage. The award ceremony was held at Devon Hotel Kandy on October 12, 2008.

The Public Service Award Ceremony 2008 for the Uva Province was held at the Uva Education Community Centre on October 13, 2008.  Viyaluwa Daily Mirror and Lankadeepa correspondent Nishantha Kumara won the award and the first prize of Rs.15,000 for his news feature on “Elephant Menace, ” that appeared in the Sunday Lankadeepa newspaper and the third prize of Rs.12,500 for his news feature ‘Shortcomings in postal services in Uva’ that appeared in the Daily Mirror newspaper.

Daily Mirror correspondent Sujeewa I. Kumari who wrote about the hardships facing the maize farmers came second.

Sanjeewa Bandara of the Sunday Lankadeepa who highlighted the problems involving the issue of National Identity Cards to the Tamil community in the Moneragala district received the award and the cash prize of Rs.10,000 for upholding diversity.

Ajith Wasantha Epa of the Uva Community Broadcasting Service received the award for Human Rights reportage. His feature programme on children selling flowers in the Kataragama sacred city brought him the award. Ayesha Udeni of Uva Broadcasting Service won the special evaluation prize. H.T.M. Faiz of the Thinakural newspaper, Sanjeewa Bandara of the Lakbima newspaper and Cyril Jayasinghe of the Divaina newspaper received certificates of merit.

The Public Service Media Award Ceremony was held at the Kurulukele Hotel in Kegalle on October 12, 2008. Lasanatha Niroshan Perera of the Rivira newspaper won the award for his news feature on  a dispute between the doctors and the nurses that claimed four lives.

Nimal Abeysinghe of Siyatha came second and was awarded for his article on the Udabowala Colony and Lasantha Niroshan Perera for his article on the ‘Fever Epidemic in Ratnapura’ that appeared in the Lankadeepa.

The Eastern Province Media Award Ceremony was held at Ampara Town Hall on October 14, 2008.

R.G. Dharmadasa of BBC Sandeshaya won the Public Service Media Award and the cash prize of Rs.15,000.

Mangalika Liyanarachchi of Ground Veine, who came second, received a cash prize of Rs. 12,500. Saman Mallawarachchi of Inter News Radio won the third price of Rs.10,000.

Mohmed Jaleel, Vadivel Shakthivel, U.M Ishaq and K.M. Kushankini of Inter News Road received certificates of merit while M.S.M. Farook won the award for upholding diversity and a cash prize of Rs.10,000.

Civil Society group’s concern: Decline of ‘Rule of Law’

   
By Susitha R. Fernando (DM 16th  Oct)
A large number of people representing civil society groups, intellectuals and trade union activists gathered yesterday at New Town Hall, Colombo 7 to express their concern on the decline of the law and order situation and the grenade attack on Attorney-at-law J. C. Weliamuna.

“Citizen collective to promote the Rule of Law”, a collective of a large number of independent organizations held a rally and screened documentary films that reflected that the country’s Rule of Law has come under threat.

Addressing the gathering representatives of different organizations, journalist associations and independent intellectuals expressed the importance of making the civil society strong.

Among the speakers were Jehan Perera, Executive Director of National Peace Council, Prof. Jayantha Seneviratne, Dr. Kumara Guruparan, of the Western People’s Front, Leenus Jayathilake of the United Workers Association, Sanath Balasuriya, President of the Working Journalists Association, Brito Fernando, Human Rights organization and the Attorney J. C. Weliamuna.

Addressing the packed audience, Prof. Jayantha Seneviratne said the positive outcome of the attack on Weliamuna was that it has given an opportunity to create a united civil society alliance, which is a need of the hour.

“The concept of state has changed to government and the ruling government has taken over all the powers of the state. And it thinks that the active civil society is a threat to its existence,” Prof. Seneviratne said.

Referring to the on going war, he said that it was not only the Tamils that have been affected by the war but the Sinhala society as well.

Dr. Kumara Guruparan stated that J. C. Weliamuna did not appear for robberers and murders but for human rights and for good governance.

Today it has come to a position where the Supreme Court has taken up to promote of good governance, he said.

J. C. Weliamuna in his speech said  that the lawyers who take up sensitive cases had to think twice before appearing for them.

“These types of cases specially relating to human right violations are usually against either Executive or the Legislature and if the lawyers are being threatened with bomb attacks it is a dangerous situation,” Weliamuna said.