Assault on Journalist Mr. Namal Perera

30th June 2008

The Free Media Movement (FMM) is shocked and outraged at the brutal assault of former TNL News Director and currently Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) employee Namal Perera and a friend this evening (Monday, 30th June 2008). Mr. Perera and his friend, Mr. Mahendra Ratnaweera, a Sri Lankan national working at the British High Commission in Colombo, were driving between Narahenpita and Kirulapone at around 06:00 p.m. when they were waylaid. The assault took place on the busy highway, in the vicinity of an army installation, the government information department and the security checkpoint at the Narahenpita bridge. The assaulters attempted to abduct Mr. Perera, but were resisted, and both Mr. Perera and his friend were badly beaten in the ensuing fracas. They are currently receiving treatment at the Apollo hospital. The potential abductors had clearly shouted that it was Mr. Namal Perera they were seeking.

FMM notes that at the time of the assault, the SLPI was contemplating legal action against the state-controlled Dinamina newspaper for reporting that the SLPI had sent members of the LTTE on a foreign tour to Denmark on the pretext that they were journalists (see FMM Statement of 27th June 2008).

This latest incident is sadly typical of the rampant assault on democracy and the freedom of expression that is taking place in Sri Lanka today. State-controlled media and government ministry websites are in the habit of baselessly demonising journalists and media professionals as supporters of the LTTE, and acts of physical harm are being committed with total impunity. The complete contempt for democratic freedom, fundamental human rights, and the rule of law that is demonstrated in incidents such as these, openly condoned by the highest government officials at various times, engenders no confidence that the dark climate of fear and intimidation shrouding media freedom in Sri Lanka today is being addressed by the government effectively or sincerely.

We will be closely monitoring the actions taken by the government to bring the perpetrators to justice in this latest criminal act, in particular the Cabinet Sub-Committee under the Chairmanship of Minister Sarath Amunugama, and will be treating this case as the litmus test of its effectiveness.

FMM calls upon all citizens of Sri Lanka to regard these revolting acts of cowardly violence against journalists as an assault on democracy and the human rights of all Sri Lankans. FMM takes this distressing opportunity of the assault on Namal Perera and Mahendra Ratnaweera to unreservedly condemn, once again, the continuing attacks in various forms against independent media and to call for their immediate end.  

Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence viciously attacks independent media

5 June 2008, Colombo, Sri Lanka: The Free Media Movement (FMM) is outraged at the recent statement by the Ministry of Defence that incites violence by claiming that the FMM and other independent media support terrorism and the LTTE. Full of half-baked conspiracy theories, hate speech, unsubstantiated allegations and an idiom of terror, the statement is the latest from a government increasingly intolerant of investigative and independent journalism.

The editorial posted on www.defense.lk run by the Ministry of Defence (http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20080531_04) on 31^st May 2008 levelled dangerous charges against number of newspapers, the FMM and its former convenor Sunanda Deshapriya and Sunday Times Associate Editor and noted defense columnist Iqbal Athas. It is a matter of fact that Mr. Athas in particular has borne the brunt of such attacks from the Ministry of Defence in the past.

Some pertinent excerpts from the said editorial are:

“Ironically, but understandably, the FMM even claimed the credit for the “quick” release of the victim who is said to have returned home with soaring wounds. In our view, no organization other than the FMM has benefited by the incident. Therefore, there lies a reasonable doubt on the real motives of the perpetrators of the alleged attack. 

Secondly, we have reasonable concerns over the behaviour of the FMM it self, We have never seen Mr, Sunanda Deshapriya, the convener of the FMM wailing at Sirasa TV over the media freedom in the LTTE held areas.. In out view this type of media organizations are the subtlest form of terror propaganda machines.

Any discernible person who sees Sirasa TV, or reads the Sunday Leader, the Morning Leader, Iru Dina, the Daily Mirror, and the Sunday Times, Lanka Dissent, Lanka E news, etc can understand the way that the soldiers are being humiliated, scorned and blamed.

War is handled by officers with 35-40 years of service, who had spend most of their lives in the battlefront, we seriously do not believe that people like Mr. Iqbal Athas have any capability to question about military tactics, service promotion schemes or even about the military procurement.”

The editorial goes on to call “…all members of the armed forces to unite and guard against these treacherous media campaign against them.”

In so far as the allegations levelled against the FMM, it is only a deliberately partial and twisted interpretation of its statements that leads the Ministry of Defence to make the fatuous claim that it is linked to, supportive of or biased towards the LTTE. We have been consistent in our criticism of the LTTE and its deplorable understanding of and approach to media freedom in particular, and tenets of democratic governance in general. In all our reports to local and international fora we have made it clear that there is no media freedom of human security for independent journalism in LTTE controlled areas.

What we have sadly yet increasingly noted is that independent media in the South now face the very same challenges and this latest statement from Ministry of Defence proves it. Much as its tries to distance itself from the statements of the Ministry of Defence, the government is both unwilling and unable to prevent wanton violence against media personnel, evidenced by the shocking number of attacks and murder of journalists in 2008 alone.

We are deeply fearful that these charges are in effect a death warrant to journalists and editors of the media mentioned in the statement. These allegations criminalize independent media and viciously clamps down on their ability and democratic right to question tactics, promotions, procurements and allegations of significant corruption in matters related to defence and governance.  

We note in this regard that after the abduction and assault of journalist Keith Noyahr, a number of journalists have been threatened and intimidated in a systematic way. This editorial is a continuation of this strategy of containment by violence and terror. The FMM urges all democratic forces to be mindful of the rise of fascism in the guise of patriotism and support the freedom of expression and media freedom.

Librarian of SLRC cut with a razor knife

FMM is horrified and shocked that another staff member, Mrs. Ranjani Aluthge, librarian of the of state controlled Sri Lanka Rupavahini Cooperation (SLRC) was cut with a razor knife this evening, 5th March 2008. She was on her way home traveling in a public transport bus when a young person wearing a cap cut her from her back close to her shoulder twice before getting out of the bus.  Mrs. Ranjani was admitted to the Colombo general hospital and received number of stitches on the cut injuries. FMM condemns this horrible act in strongest terms.

This is the forth incident of attacks and attempted attacks on SLRC journalists and media workers that has taken place recently.

On 25th January a knife attack on journalist Lal Hemantha Mawalage took place.  He was on his way home around 11.00pm when he was attacked by two men on motor bicycle who lay in wait for him. He received severe cut injuries in his right arm, was admitted to Ward 72 of the Colombo general hospital.  Two days ago journalist Mawalage was asked to get his coffin ready by some unknown peson.

On the night of 29th January two persons armed with a pistol entered the house of media worker Duleep Dushantha of the state owned SLRC (Sri Lanka Rupavahini Cooperation). As he was not in the house at that time they threatened his mother with death if she informed the police of the incident. 

On 27th February assistant Director News Camera Priyal Ranjith Perera of SLRC was threatened by unidentified gang while he was in his residence. They tried to attack/stab him but he was able to close the door and shouted for help.

All these journalists were involved in the spontaneous protest that sprung up on 27th December 2007 when labour Minister Mervyn de Silva stormed into the SLRC with group of thugs and assaulted its news director. 

Soon after three Journalists from privately owned  MTV net work  who were involved in covering the 27th December incident logged a complain in Maharagama police station saying that they had received credible information of underworld persons are plotting to harm them. Two other journalists who were involved in covering the minister’s intrusion in to SLRC were followed by unknown persons recently.  None of these incidents has been investigated to a completion and no culprit has been brought to the book. In this situation some journalists who played a leading role at the protest are forced to go in hiding.

These attacks and threats are creating a fear psychosis especially among the journalists who participated and covered the 27th  December  SLRC protest against the minister.  This in turn will obstruct them performing their duty of informing people.

It is very unfortunate that our repeated requests to the government for immediate and open inquires into these incidents have not had any positive responses. Instead what we hear is an anti-media rhetoric by government high ups. Intolerance of critical reporting is being promoted to dangerous level of fearful inciting.

In this situation FMM urge all democratic forces including political parties to join with journalist’s orgnisations in protesting all these attacks and protecting what ever media freedom we have in our country today.