JVP leader Somawansa Amarasinghe said media freedom is a focal point when measuring the level of democracy in a country when he met leaders of the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) yesterday morning at JVP Headquarters.
Mr. Amarasinghe also noted that violence against media is a major blow against democracy and therefore his Party will continue involving in activities against media suppression. The SLWJA representatives noted that the amount of violence and threatening against journalists has increased immensely and the police which normally take swift actions in any other case opt to a lukewarm policy when investigating cases of violence against journalists.

Theyalso insisted that political parties and journalists should work together at instances where it is possible, to ensure democracy of the country. A JVP spokesman said that the JVP leader also signed a petition on violence against media and media persons which is to be handed over to the government later.

(Lanka-e-News, July 19, 2008, 11.20 PM) Media persons attempt to sling mud on the images of the Army and the Army Commander and when they enjoy the ‘vipaka’ (results) of their sins, they blame me, says Army Commander Sarath Fonseka in an interview with Sunday ‘Lakbima’ Sinhala newspaper.
Commenting on the incidents of threatening to media persons like Keith Noir, Namal Perera and Iqbal Athas, the Army Commander says, “According to my analysis on their charges against Army and Army Commander for attacking them, they might have done wrong to the Army or the Army Commander. When somebody attacks them, their conscience recalls the wrong they had done. Therefore they say that they were attacked by Army.”

Stating that the allegations against him were baseless, the Army Commander added that the aim of allegations was slinging mud at his image.

In response to the Opposition Chief Whip Joseph Michael Perera’s statement that the media persons were assaulted by a team under the Army Commander, the latter said that the MP also had causes to disrupt the forward march of the Army. “If he was a responsible citizen, he could have initiate legal action without limiting to making a statement in the parliament. He could have submitted the evidences to police, courts and Ministry of Defense.”

The Army Commander said that there were enough of such irresponsible persons whose mouths cannot be shut as same as the mouth of a barking dog cannot be shut.

 
Monday, 07 July 2008 14:59 administrator   
One year ago this day (July 07th) was when we got this web site out in the net from this troubled little island, expecting the world would have an alternate view of our country than what’s usually captured in the conventional media. It was certainly an adventurous journey, WE set ourselves upon. But then, who are “we” and “why” did we ?

Over the past two years plus a few months, this country, Sri Lanka, was gradually getting caught in a very oppressive political Tsunami. The first attack on the media was in December, 2005, just 27 days after the UPFA candidate Rajapaksa was sworn in as President to claim a “Unitary State” on a flimsy Sinhala majority after an aggressive “Hutuist” campaign. That attack on 15th December, was on Tamil media – on the Eelanadu News paper office – and caught no attention in the South. In less than 90 days, there were 09 reported incidents, all against the Tamil media, with S.S. Rajan of “Sudar Oli” being gunned down in Trincomalee on 26th January, 2006.

These were not serious crimes against the media or against journalists for the Colombo based media. They were carried as “just another news” with racist nuances where possible. The Colombo based media in general thought they had a more patriotic “national task” in hand, covering and exposing the “CFA violations by the Tigers” as decided and defined by the government. This totally unethical approach by especially the Colombo based print media that violated its own Code of Ethics, formulated by their own Editors’ Guild, helped in cementing a social psyche that accepted media suppression as part of the war against the separatist “Tigers”. 

In just one year, by mid 2007, there remained no distinctions between Sinhala and Tamil or Tamil and English media. Editors were threatened, news paper offices were broken into and set on fire, journalists were threatened, assaulted, abducted, tortured and dumped on roadsides, one or two went missing and were found killed. This time it wasn’t only in Jaffna, but in Colombo too.

The Sinhala weekly news paper “Maubima” came under direct attack too. Its Editorial Assistant Miss. Parameswari, a young Tamil girl was taken into custody by the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) of the CID. Most Sinhala media, including some electronic channels as well, projected Parameswari as a “Tiger informant” justifying her arrest and her continued detention without charges. A justification that provided this “Morbid Regime” (MR) to menacingly stretch its repression over the whole news paper, to freeze bank accounts and detain Basnayake, a Director of the publishing company and eventually forced “Maubima” to close down. Thereafter both Parameswari and Basnayake were released with absolutely no charges.

A few of us there after, with our own linkages with the media, were prompted to seriously discuss the emerging trend(s). We agreed first, the media here in Sri Lanka would not be serious in challenging the government against coercion, intimidation and the government’s right to dictate terms on the media. No, the media is divided politically, over a war they themselves contribute to project as victorious. It was therefore “patriotic” for them to play with the government. They had their own reasoning, way outside media ethics. We also agreed, the media organizations were “within a box” and would not go beyond statements and a ‘picket’ for the cameras. They are also not organically representing the journalists, while the journalists even for now do not act as a professional group.

We finally agreed that the issue of media freedom and independence of the media is not an isolated issue in Sri Lanka that could be treated separately. It came within the larger political canvas, was a strong democratic issue glued to a broader campaign for Social Democracy. WE therefore decided upon a platform for SOCIAL DEMOCRACY.

Since the conventional media is living under a sinister, revengeful, cloaked brutality, we decided to exploit the internet to project a dissenting voice as “Lankadissent”, the news web site that for the first time brought news and features in all 03 languages, Sinhala, Tamil and English. We were fortunate in having a very sympathetic and supportive resource base that allowed us to regularly improve the quality of our news and features presentation, both in content and in format. We became a very prominent news site in a very short time, not only with the Diaspora, but in Sri Lanka as well. The latest “visitor records” to our site has 57 per cent from Sri Lanka logging in daily.

That has its own rip off too. We were harassed by the authorities for our reporting. Our e-mail ‘in-box’ was hacked into. Our e-mail was used to insult and threaten other site administrators. Our site was completely blocked, denying access to us. We were compelled to immediately change our domain parking at a cost. The threat on media was extending to the cyber world as well. 

Within just 365 days, we grew and matured within this very repressive MR. A regime that screws its nuts and bolts tenaciously on the media. Tissainayagam and another are detained for over 120 days without charges. Keith Noyer was abducted, tortured and left numbed. Divayina defense correspondent had “unnamed visitors” who told him what not to write, if he pays any value to his life. Fredrica Jansz had a bleeding, beheaded cockerel in her front porch followed by threatening phone calls. Journalist Namal Perera and British HC Political Officer Mahendra Ratnaweera were added to the list of almost abducted and badly mutilated media personnel, again under this MR. 

SL thus becomes the 03rd most dangerous country in the world for journalists. It would be that or far worse in time to come with a continuing war, the government wants the media keep out from. “The media need not get involved in discussing the war” President Rajapaksa had told both the Publishers and Editors of the Print Media a fortnight before Namal Perera was “dealt with”.

The year ahead is one that would need closer co-operation among journalists and media organizations to face off threats and intimidations. The year ahead is one that needs a bigger and a larger hand from society to keep going with a dissenting voice. Our effort in creating a dissenting voice though a difficult task, is an important responsibility. Our effort to stay alive, though a bitter struggle, is worth the toil. We would therefore strive to crawl through all these ordeals, expecting every one of you to stand with us. And thank you for being with us all through this difficult crawl for life.

 
Users of CDMA and mobile phones in the Jaffna peninsula have been asked to obtain a police clearance certificate for the use of the phones from this month, an official said yesterday.

For the past two months, CDMA phones have been barred while the use of hand phones is restricted to a few hours a day in the peninsula.

The police have already sent a printed application form to the Jaffna Telecom office to deliver it to phone users along with their telephone bills for this month, Regional Telecom Engineer N. Sivanandan said.
He said that since May, the phones had been barred by the security forces and many subscribers had been inquiring from him as to what was happening.

Mr. Sivanandan said the communication network in the peninsula was handled by the security forces and he was not in a position to restore the service. There are nearly 7,200 CDMA phones and 150,000 mobile phones in use in Jaffna.

19th July 2008, Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Free Media Movement (FMM) is extremely displeased to report the assault of two more journalists and the harassment of another by government officials.

The journalists were covering the illegal demolishing of hundreds of homes in Colombo on 18th July under the guise of providing security for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) meeting later this month.
 
On the afternoon of the 18th, Urban Development Authority (UDA) officials assaulted journalist Yohan Perera and photographer Pradeep Dilrukshana from the Daily Mirror newspaper and harassed TV journalist Dushantha Manoj from Sirasa TV. They were all covering the violent demolishing of the homes. Yohan Perera from the Daily Mirror was admitted to Colombo General Hospital after having sustained injuries from the attack.
 
Hundreds of police personnel at the scene were unable to stop these assaults against journalists. There is a mentality amongst all government officials given rise to by the action of those high up in the Government and the ruling party that they can, at their whim and fancy, assault journalists with complete impunity.

We see this incident as a sign of the absolute intolerance towards any independent coverage of critical issues related to democratic governance. It is the open policy of this government to quell dissent by violence. The impunity and the lack of any meaningful measures to address this violence against journalists places independent and professional voices in the media community in a very precarious position in Sri Lanka today.

Journalists who covered yesterday’s tense situation in Kompannaweediya that arose with the demolition of so-called unauthorized structures were manhandled and assaulted allegedly by a group who claimed to be from the UDA.

Daily Mirror journalist Yohan Perera who was beaten was admitted to the National Hospital.

Daily Mirror graphic journalist Sandun Kodituwakku and photo-journalist Pradeep Dilrukshana were also manhandled when they tried to rescue Yohan Perera. 

P.M. Rizwy an eyewitness said men in civvies had held Yohan Perera and beaten him on the face while verbally abusing him.  Mr. Rizwy said a senior police officer who was in the vicinity had shouted not to assault Mr. Perera since he was from the media. However he was released after several people and his fellow journalists had intervened. 

Urban Development Minister Dinesh Gunawardena condemned the assault and denied any involvement of UDA employees. “I don’t think the attackers were from the UDA. Whoever it is I condemn this attack. I will conduct an inquiry to verify whether any UDA employee was involved,” he said.

Police Media Spokesman SSP Ranjth Gunasekara said that Kompannaweediya police had been instructed to deploy a special team to investigate the assault on Daily Mirror journalists

COLOMBO (AFP) — Journalists covering Sri Lanka’s war with Tamil Tiger rebels are being harassed despite a government pledge to take action to protect the press, a rights group said Friday.

The Free Media Movement (FMM) reported eight incidents of threats and intimidation, just two weeks after a ministerial committee was formed to look at the issue of media rights.

The incidents included verbal death threats, assaults in public places and visits to journalists’ homes by people claiming to be from the police, the statement said.

“It is apparent that the cabinet sub-committee… is powerless to foster media freedom and the freedom of expression in Sri Lanka, or investigate meaningfully the violence directed at journalists,” the FMM said.

The rights group demanded a probe into the recent incidents and asked the committee to tell police to respect journalists.

In June, Sri Lanka’s hawkish defence ministry published several editorials which labelled journalists and reporters “cowboy defence analysts” and “enemies of the state.”

The defence ministry presented reporters with a stark choice of being either pro-government or “pro-terrorist” — sparking renewed alarm among media rights activists about freedom of the press in Sri Lanka.

Since August 2005, 12 media workers have been killed in Sri Lanka, which is regarded as the second-most dangerous place for journalists after Iraq.

Eleven of them died in government-controlled areas and no one has been brought to justice in connection with the deaths.

Sri Lanka’s bitter ethnic war, which has left thousands of people dead, has escalated sharply since January, when the government pulled out of a Norwegian-brokered truce with the Tamil Tigers.

As journalists in Sri Lanka continue to suffer intimidation and harassment, the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) calls on Sri Lanka’s Government to make good on its recent commitment to investigate thoroughly all acts of violence directed toward members of Sri Lanka’s media community.

In late June, the five main journalists’ organisations in Sri Lanka welcomed the Government’s move to set up a Cabinet subcommittee to look into the grievances of journalists, but said the committee must build confidence among the media community by reporting promptly and transparently about the progress of its inquiries.

Since then, seven incidents have been reported in which media personnel have been intimidated and harassed. There is no evidence of the subcommittee seeking to investigate any of these incidents, let alone the long list of prior cases.

The Free Media Movement (FMM), an IFJ affiliate, said in a statement today: “Given the number of reports on the intimidation and harassment of journalists the FMM has received over the last two weeks, it is apparent that the Cabinet subcommittee appointed by the Government to look into the grievances of the media community is powerless to foster media freedom and freedom of expression in Sri Lanka or investigate meaningfully the violence directed against journalists.”

The FMM reports the following incidents since late June:

•  In early July, FMM spokesman Sunanda Deshapriya was visited at his family home by people claiming to be police. It was subsequently discovered that they gave false names and positions.
• On July 7, Sirasa TV reporter T. Jayakumar was threatened at the Supreme Court and asked not to report on a fundamental rights petition filed by a Major General against the military high command.
•  On July 7, Chaminda Kulathunga, a provincial radio correspondent in Hambantota, was reportedly assaulted by police as he covered a demonstration. His identity card and tape recorder were confiscated. 
• On July 7, Mahamuni Subramaniam, a provincial correspondent in the northern town of Vavuniya, was visited by a group of people who questioned him about a news photo of a June 16 bomb blast near the office of a police senior superintendent. He said two other Tamil journalists were also receiving regular threats and intimidation.
• On July 13, a Sinhala nationalist newspaper ran an opinion piece accusing a photographer of working against national security because he took a photograph of a bomber plane departing from Sri Lanka’s international airport.
• ·     On July 14, Meegoda Hemapala, a freelance provincial correspondent of Giraduru Kotte, was threatened by a mob that surrounded his house, angered by his reporting of a case of alleged child abuse. Hemapala said senior police also threatened him.
• On July 16, an anonymous caller threatened staff at the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI), including Director General Ranga Kalansuriya, who has received threats against his life.

“The IFJ demands that the Government of Sri Lanka make good on its promise and investigate promptly and transparently all attacks and intimidation directed against journalists and media institutions in Sri Lanka,” IFJ Asia-Pacific said.

“The Cabinet subcommittee set up to investigate violence against journalists in Sri Lanka is meaningless if it does not make serious and genuine efforts to resolve the crisis confronting journalists and media – and by extension, all citizens - in Sri Lanka.”

 
18th July 2008, Colombo, Sri Lanka: Given the number of reports on the intimidation and harassment of journalists the Free Media Movement (FMM) has received over the last two weeks, it is apparent that the Cabinet Subcommittee appointed by the government to look into the grievances of media community is powerless to foster media freedom and the freedom of expression in Sri Lanka or investigate meaningfully the violence directed journalists.

In early July persons calling themselves from the Police visited FMM spokesperson Sunanda Deshapriya’s residence.  He and his family had just moved to a newly rented residence and this incident took place within weeks of changing homes. It was found out that the names and positions given were completely false.

Sirasa TV court reporter T. Jayakumar was threatened and asked not to report a fundamental rights petition filed by a Major General against the military high command.   The petition was taken up for hearing in the Supreme Court on 7th July.  When the court proceedings ended a civil person came to journalist Jayakumar and threatened him against reporting the court proceedings to Sirasa. The FMM is aware that around one month ago unknown persons had visited his residence and asked questions about him.

 On 13th July a Sinhala nationalist Sunday newspaper carried a distorted and inflammatory opinion in its defense column accusing a photographer as working against the national security for talking a photograph of bomber taking off from Sri Lanka’s only international airport. The article said, “nowhere in the world is this kind of photograph allowed. Defense authorities should investigate how this foreign contractor journalist was able to take this photograph.”

On 7th July Journalist Chaminda Kulathunga provincial correspondent of Hambantota  for number of radio stations operating from Colombo reported to FMM that he was assaulted by Hanbantota Police HQI Kalinga Silva,  his national identity card and tape recorder was taken in to custody. He was covering a people’s agitation organized by Organization to Protect Peoples Rights in   Hambabtota demanding some roads and reservoirs to be repaired immediately. 

On 14th July Meegoda Hemapala, freelance provincial correspondent of Giraduru Kotte was threatened with death and his house was surrounded by a violent mob angered over his reporting of a child abuse case by police. Journalist Hemapala told the FMM that Police OIC  police had personally threatened him over this incident.
 
Provincial correspondent Mahamuni Subramaniam working from the Northern town of Vavuniya reported to FMM that he has been facing continuous intimidations from known and unknown groups. A group of persons has visited him on 7th July and questioned him about the photo published in the papers about the bomb blast in front of the Office of the Senior Superintendent of Police on 16th of June 2008. In his letter to the FMM Subramaniam says that two other Tamil journalists are living in fear for continuing threats and intimidations from various quarters.
 
On 16th July anonymous caller threatened Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) staff. The caller has said “Your boss has come to work today, we will bumped you all” The person referred to was Mr. Ranga Kalansuriya, the Director General of SLPI, reported to work that day after few days of working from home because of the threats against his life. This clearly shows there are persons who keep a close watch on SLPI and its staff movements.
 
On 16th July Tamil daily Veerakesari journalist was stopped by the Police at Town Hall junction in Colombo and questioned for nearly an half an hour although he produced his media accreditation and newspaper identity card.

Condemning all these attacks and intimidations on journalists and media institutions, FMM demands that the cabinet sub committee on media take immediate steps. 1. To investigate all these incidents in order to take appropriate measurers. 2. To advice police personal to respect journalists right to gather information and not to interfere with their professional activities.

Vettivel Jasikaran (m), writer and publisher
Valarmathi Jasikaran (f), his wife

Vettivel and Valarmathi Jasikaran were brought before a Magistrates’ Court in Colombo on 30 June 2008, and detained for a further three months without being charged. They are still in the custody of the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) in Colombo, and Vettivel has stated in court that he has been tortured.
On 8 June Vettivel and Valarmathi filed a fundamental rights case at the Supreme Court, stating that their arrest and detention are illegal and that Vettivel has been tortured.
On 13 June Vettivel told the Magistrates’ Court that he had been tortured by the TID, and had showed the injuries this caused to a Judicial Medical Officer (JMO) during a medical examination on 27 May. However the JMO’s report was written in Sinhalese, which Tamil- speakers Vettivel and Valarmathi Jasikaran cannot understand, and presented to the magistrate on 6 June without Vettivel’s family or lawyer obtaining a copy; it is not clear what the report says. Vettivel was tortured again after his 13 June statement in court.
Following hearings on 27 and 30 June respectively, the Supreme Court and the Magistrates’ Court ordered the TID to arrange a second medical examination of Vettivel by a JMO, and to produce the JMO’s report at the next Magistrates’ Court hearing, on 5 September.
The 30 June extension of their detention was imposed under the Emergency Regulations, under which they could be held for up to 12 months without charge. Detaining anyone in this way is arbitrary, in violation of Article 9(1) of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, to which Sri Lanka is a state party. The Emergency Regulations, issued by the President, introduced broad-based and vaguely defined “terrorism” offences, which have been used to silence critical journalists and generally suppress freedom of expression in Sri Lanka. Under the Emergency Regulations, police can hold people for up to 90 days, after which time they must be sent to prison or released. Vettivel and Valarmathi Jasikaran have now been in TID custody for four months, well past this 90-day limit.
Valarmathi has not received the medical treatment she needs following an operation she had on her stomach before she was detained. According to sources close to her, she has been taken to hospital once since she was arrested, and was advised to see the surgeon who carried out the operation on her stomach, who should assess her condition and determine what treatment she required, but this has not been arranged. Vettivel has not received any medical treatment for his injuries, which he says were caused by torture at the hands of the TID.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
A number of media workers have recently been attacked, following the pattern outlined in Amnesty International’s report Sri Lanka: Silencing Dissent (ASA 37/001/2008, February 2008). On 30 June a British High Commission staff member and an official of the Sri Lanka Press Institute were brutally attacked in Colombo. A number of journalists and other media workers have also been detained for long periods without charge (see UA 88/08, 4 April 2008). In October 2007, the United Nations Special Rapport eur on torture and other cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment or punishment stated following a visit to Sri Lanka that, “Under the Emergency Regulations, most of the safeguards against torture…either do not
apply or are simply disregarded, which leads to a situation in which torture becomes a routine practice in the context of counter-terrorism operations. The non-applicability of important legal safeguards in the context of counter-terrorism measures, as well as excessively prolonged police detention, opens the door for abuse.”

RECOMMENDED ACTION: Please send appeals to arrive as quickly as possible:
- calling on the authorities to release Vettivel Jasikaran and his wife Valarmathi
immediately, unless they are to be charged with a recognizably criminal offence and
remanded by an independent court, as they are being held without charge and without a detention order by the Terrorist Investigation Division in Colombo;
- expressing concern at reports that Vettivel Jasikaran has been tortured repeatedly, and that Valarmathi Jasikaran has not received required medical treatment for a stomach condition;
- calling on the authorities to ensure that Vettivel and Valarmathi Jasikaran are not
tortured or ill-treated, and that they are allowed immediate and unrestricted access to their family, legal counsel of their choice, an independent court and any specialist
medical treatment they may require;
- urging the authorities to order an independent investigation into reports that Vettivel Jasikaran has been tortured by the TID, and bring those responsible to justice;
- calling on the authorities to put an immediate end to all torture and other ill-
treatment, and comply fully with the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment, to which Sri Lanka is a state party.

APPEALS TO:

His Excellency the President Mahinda Rajapaksa
Presidential Secretariat
Colombo 1
SRI LANKA
Fax:               011 94 11 2446657
Salutation:    Your Excellency

Hon. Sarath N. Silva
Chief Justice
Supreme Court of Sri Lanka
Superior Courts Complex
Colombo 12
SRI LANKA
Fax:               011 94 1 435446
Salutation:    Dear Chief Justice

COPIES TO:

Mr. Victor Perera
Inspector General of Police
Sri Lanka Police
Headquarters
101/1 Kew Road
Colombo 2
SRI LANKA
Fax :    011 94 11 2446174