Sri Lanka Media Rights Group Expresses Concern Over String of Journalist Arrests
March 9th, 2008
Expressing concern and ‘hoping due process will be followed regarding the arrested writers and journalists’, Sri Lanka Media Rights Group-The Free Media Movement (FMM) is pointing out that the journalists’ ‘rights are violated more often than not’, in a statement released today. FMM issued a statement after a string of arrests by the Sri Lanka Terrorist Investigations Department (TID) in the past few days.
Full Text of FMM Statement:
Number of journalists arrested; one journalist released after questioning
The Free Media Movement (FMM) expresses its concern that number of journalists have being taken in for questioning on 7th and 8th of March with some of them held incommunicado for hours. Most of the journalists arrested were associated with www.outreachsl.com, a news and features web site.
On the evening of 6th March, E-Kwality printing press owner and writer N. Jasiharan was arrested by the Terrorist Investigations Department (TID) with his partner Valarmathi without any valid reason. His laptop computer and printed material form his printing press was taken in to custody. Jasiharan also works as a writer for www.outreachsl.com.
[J.S. Tissainayagam]
On 7th March, the TID arrested the Editor of www.outreachsl.com and freelance journalist, J.S Tissainayagam. He was taken in for questioning in the morning, kept incommunicado till family was informed that he has been arrested in late evening. The Daily Mirror website reported today (8th March) that the TID refused to elaborate on what he was being questioned about. He was detained under emergency regulation on 8th for 30 days.
Also on the 7th, K. Wijesingha, another reporter of the website was also taken in for questioning, but nothing was heard of him till midnight 7th March. His family was allowed to visit him at TID on 8th. Udayanan, the Visual Editor of the web site too was taken in for questioning on 7th afternoon. No news of him was available till midnight the same day. On 7th afternoon TID came looking for S. Sivakumar (alias Balasubramanium Wasanthan) , Spokesperson of the FMM and Editor of the bi-monthly Tamil language Sarinihar magazine and took a cousin into custody. The FMM was able to negotiate that Sivakumar would be produced at the TID office at 9am on 8th March.
On 8th S. Sivakumar and outreach.com cameraman Ranga was taken in for questioning. High officials of the TID assured FMM that no extra judicial methods will be used in questioning. FMM is happy to note that FMM spokesperson S. Sivakumar was released within twelve hours in late evening 8th March.
The FMM accepts that law enforcement agencies have a right to investigate leads in the public interest and take appropriate action as stipulated by the law. We also hope that due process will be followed regarding the arrested writers and journalists. The right to retain lawyers at police stations while statements are being recorded and their right to inform family and colleagues as to where they are being questioned are basic rules that have to be followed.
We note that these rights are violated more often than not. Maintaining that until proven in a court of law, anyone arrested is innocent and has to be treated as such, the FMM stands for the rights of these writers and journalists and by them as citizens of this country.
Entry Filed under: Press Statement
3 Comments Add your own
1. Sam Thambipillai | March 10th, 2008 at 8:19 am
Inspite of threats and arrests and murders of journalists in Sri Lanka, an article appearing in an English daily in Sri Lanka claims “however flawed our democracy may be, our country still remains a democracy and not a dictatorship and is one which is ruled with the consent of the people, further, we are fighting this war to remain that way.”
The fundamental principle of democracy is to accept that every citizen is equal. The people should be allowed to express and rule themselves at grass root level. There should be justice, protection and freedom of expression to all, without any discrimination whatsoever.
There was never democracy in Sri Lanka, What prevailed in Sri Lanka always was “Sinhalocracy”. The Sinhalese ruled over the Tamils, as if they were inequals, not deserving even their legitimate democratic rights.
In 1950’s when the Tamils democratically expressed their political desires by non violent methods, brutal force was unleashed by the armed forces of the state to nullify expression. Leaders were beaten up and our revered leader SJV Chelvanayakam was put under house arrest, for more than one year, with a view to humiliate and take away the dignity of him and the Tamils. Does this fall within any distant definition of democracy? No. It can fall only under a new category of rule called Sinhalocracy which embodies Sinhala autocratic arrogance over Tamils.
Shame on the leaders of the South, if they ever say that democracy was ever practiced after independence. There was only a democratic process of elections used but for the brutal rule of oppressive Sinhalocracy.
2. ilaya seran senguttuvan | March 10th, 2008 at 11:47 am
Until recently I thought such fascistic stuff only takes place in those Banana Republics of Latin America or those lawless States of Africa. Sad it comes to our country that – despite some flaws – remained a model democracy by the standards of a developing country until 3 years ago. My fear is if we will go the way of Zimbabwe – a strong, economically sound nation – that was ruined by one-time Socialist Mugabe. He cares tuppence what happens to a country of several millions where the rate of inflation – at the last count was – 26,000% Those fine gentlemen from the Organisation of African States refuse to take action against this degenerate dictator. The nepostic rule of the Rajapkse clan will soon take the people to famine.
Mark my words – by months end Rice will pass the Rs100/kg
mark: Sugar over Rs75; Parippu over Rs200: Halmessa/Rs200
Coconuts over Rs50: Petrol Rs150. That great wonderboy of
economics Bandula Gunawardena will say “What the hell can I do, men. Prices have gone up in the world market. Those Nattamis
(he thinks this is Tamil for Food Importers) are hand in glove with the UNP which is why they are refusing to bring prices down” And Cabral, the great Economic miracle worker will say “By end 2008 I will bring the rate of inflation to single digits.
Yes! I know I gave this assurance in 2006 but these b..g..rs
in the LTTE are not allowing me to do a job of work, can’t you see?”
3. Naga UK | March 12th, 2008 at 10:01 am
There are times in a politician’s life when he is obliged to take the wrong decision. Wrong economically, wrong industrially, wrong by any standard – except one. It is a curious fact that something which is wrong from every other point of view can be right politically. And something which is right politically does not simply mean that it’s the way to get the votes – which is- but also, if a policy gets the votes, then it can be argued that that policy is what the people want. And in a democracy, how can a thing be wrong if it is what the people will vote for?
- Jonathan Lynn & Anthony Jay (Yes Minister)
If what some people perceive the election victory in the east as a victory for democracy is real, then we are in for a democratic future that we have not even imagined hitherto. If most people of this country are more than willing to be brain-washed by repetition of all too familiar slogans then they deserve what they get. the journalists are becoming an endangered species in the process. How long can they get away with it ?
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