Condemn the closure of Lanka News paper office and detention of its editor

Media Release

31 January 2010 Colombo,

We, 5 media organizations of Sri Lanka consider the steps taken by Criminal Investigation Department of Sri Lanka police to seal the  Lanka newspaper office and arrest/detain its editor Chandana Sirimalwatta as a fatal blow to media freedom and democracy in Sri Lanka. We demand that government stop immediately the repressive acts launched against media with critical and opposing content. It is clear that sole reason behind the repression of the Lanka newspaper and its editor Chandana Sirimalwatta is the role played by the newspaper during recently concluded presidential election.

The promises made during the presidential campaign to defend press freedom and speed up the investigations on assassination of journalists have evaporated within days. Instead the repression against journalists and media that does obey government orders and express dissenting voices has now culminated in acts unleashed against Lanka newspaper.  
Existence of a vibrant political opposition and unfettered space for media to carry their ideas and opinions to the people is a necessary component of a healthy democracy.  Hampering the role played by the Lanka news paper is violation of the people’s right to think, hold and express their opinions.

In our opinion   this is not a isolated act but another grave incident of post presidential election media suppression. The signal sent by suppressing Lanka newspaper is that critical media and journalists should shut up.

It is a common knowledge that in  a society that values democracy media should not be suppressed. If this trend of suppression of dissent and oppositional views is not halted we are afraid that Sri Lanka may slip in to a dictatorial political system. That is why we urge again national as well as international democratic forces to do their utmost to protect media freedom and democratic values in Sri Lanka.
We would like to remind that during the last few year’s dozens of journalists and media workers were killed, large number of them faced various threats and intimidations, number of media institutions were set on fire in Sri Lanka. Because of these anti media actions Sri Lanka was named as the third dangerous country for journalists in the world. Not only our people’s right to information was curtailed but also our name of motherland was degraded internationally.

We, 5 media organizations’ earnest request to the government is to remove all suppressive measures imposed on the Lanka newspaper and to release its editor Chandana Sirimalwatta immediately.

Stop post election media suppression;an open appeal – 5 media organisations

Press release

30 January 2010

We five major media organizations in the country express our deep concern over the increasing media suppression in post presidential election situation. The presidential election was marred by various threats to non state media and misuse of state controlled public media. In the post election period media situation is becoming serious day by day as clearly shown by development in last few days. We Five Media Organizations condemn theses suppressive measures in strongest terms and express our unconditional  solidarity with the media and journalists who are under attack.
Here are major incidents reported so far.

Lanakenews journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda, disappeared on 24th  January night on his way home from the office. There has  been no news  on his whereabouts till now. Only answer police has given to the complaint made is that they are doing their investigations.

State controlled Sri Lanka Telicom blocked the www.lankaenews.com on the election day making it impossible for Sri Lankan citizens to visit the site . Lankaenews had been providing much needed space for opposition news and opinions. The Election Commissioner (EC) ordered Sri Lanka Telecom to lift the blockade as a response to the complaint made by its editor to EC. But soon after the final election result was  announced  by the EC, Sri Lanka Telecom re-imposed the ban, this time more strictly Meanwhile the editor and staff of the lankaenews continue to receive death threats on their phones. On 28th  January night unknown group surrounded the  lankaenews office located in Rajagiriaya, Boralla and stayed there nearly two hours inquiring about the staff. The vehicle they arrived had the number plate of 32-8432.
Further it has been reported that at least four more websites with critical content has been blocked by state as well as privately owned servers in Sri Lanka. Those are www.lankanewsweb.com, www.srilankagaurdian.org , www.infolanka.com, and www.nidahasa.com.
 On 28th  January morning   Ravi Abewikrama, a programme producer of Sri Lanka Broadcasting Cooperation (SLBC) was assaulted by SLRC deputy transport manager G.D. Somapala at the office of SLRC Chairman Ariyarathana Atugala. Later Chairman Atugala, additional Director General Devappriya Abeysinghe threatened  programme producers Kanachana  Marasinghe, Herburt Kumara Alagiyawanna and Gamini Pushpakumara using abusive language. These media personal   are being targeted  for their  leading role in  advocating  the  compliance of Election Commissions media guide lines by the institution to ensure fair coverage for all sides.
On 28 January the leader of the  major opposition collation partner, the  Peoples Liberation Front (JVP) Somawansas Amarasinha told a press  conference that Defense Secretary Gotabhaya Rajapaksa calling on  his  mobile from Rajapaksa’s mobile threatened to set fire to Lanka newspaper which is a pro JVP Sinhala weekly .Later it was reported that unofficial ban on carrying this news item was imposed. Incidentally non of the TV news bulletins carried the news.

On the top of this it has been reported to our organizations that number of provincial correspondents have been threatened and intimidated over the issue of election reporting.

These incidents show clearly that media suppression is on the increase in post election period. These developments will hamper any informed discussion on the aftermaths of presidential election and the malpractices reported. The result will be the violation of people’s right to information. This in turn will seriously limit people’s ability to make informed judgments on political developments. We would like to reiterate that in the light of the parliamentary election due in few months time, it is all the more necessary to re establish our peoples right to information without delay by making the media environment free.

In this context, considering that the press freedom as the expression of people’s right to information and freedom of speech, we, the five media organizations in Sri Lanka earnestly urge   all democratic forces in the country, diplomatic corps in Sri Lanka, United Nations, International human rights, press freedom and journalists safety organizations  to use their good offices to ensure that government of Sri Lanka stop the media suppression and create a free and democratic post election environment.