President Rajapakse called Lasantha Wickrematunge "Terrorist journalist" and "Kotiya (Tiger)
By Uvindu Kurukulasuriya
Lasantha Wickrematunge faced his last moments at an unusual time at an unusual place. From the moment he left home the day he was murdered, he was aware that he was being tailed. He informed his friends of this fact on the phone.
One friend had advised him to immediately go to a safe place. Lasantha's reply was that '...at most, I will be killed.' He had realised that if he had gone to a safe place, it would only be postponing his death for a few more days.
He was an unarmed man driving his own car. There is no safety for the civil population of this country. If someone decides that another should be liquidated, it is a dead cert that it will happen any time.
The moment I heard Lasantha was shot, I went to the Kalubowila Hospital accompanied by a person whose name appears at the top of the hit list: Dr. Saravanamuttu. On my way, I was reminded of the trip I took to the same hospital on a similar occasion when I heard that another Editor, Rohana Kumara, was shot. That day, I was accompanied by the Ravaya Editor, Victor Ivan, who also topped the hit list at that point of time.
Media suppression
Rohana Kumara was shot dead during the tail end of the first presidential period of Chandrika, on September 7, 1999. That was the time when her regime carried out the most brutal activities against the media of the country and against democracy.
A minister who was sidelined in her cabinet wanted to show he was shocked, and in secret, to do something for the freedom and safety of journalists. I had discussions with him and paved the way for him to make it up with Victor Ivan, the Convener of the Free Media Movement, whom he did not like much.
This minister was induced to publicly take the lead in establishing a broad front to re-establish democracy in the country.
One evening during that period, that minister, together with Hemasiri Fernando, who had held the position of Secretary to Prime Minister Sirimavo Bandaranaike, Victor Ivan, and myself were at Hemasiri's house, when I received a telephone call: 'A journalist has been shot at Delkanda.'
Then and now
Hemasiri gave several telephone calls and identified the journalist as Rohana Kumara. "This is a job of Chandrika and Sanath," the minister said. This minister, who had been sidelined by Chandrika, and who had promised to come forward to safeguard democracy and media freedom, was none other than the present President, Mahinda Rajapakse.
The accusation he levelled against Chandrika that day has boomeranged on him. For the first time, following Lasantha's assassination, slogans have appeared accusing him of murder: "Ghathakaya Satakaya."
During the period of this President's regime, 17 journalists and media workers have been killed. Two years ago, when the Free Media Movement officially met the President, we requested him to bring before the law, symbolically, the murderer of at least one journalist. At a personal meeting a few months ago, I reminded him of that request. So far nothing has happened.
'Terrorist journalist'
President Rajapakse called Lasantha a 'terrorist journalist' during an interview with Reporters Without Borders last October. (See http://www.rsf.org/article.php3 ?id_article=29916)
He said the same thing to us last September, when we were at a meeting with him. President of the Sri Lanka Working Journalists' Association, Sanath Balasuriya, and its Secretary, Poddala Jayantha, accompanied me as the Convenor of the Free Media Movement to this meeting with President Rajapakse.
Mahinda Rajapakse called Lasantha "Kotiyek" (a Tiger) during that meeting. He made the same remark about MTV Head, Raja Mahendran as well. After the meeting the President asked us to join him for dinner, but we politely declined the invitation. (See http://www.thesundayleader.lk/20080921/POTSHOT.HTM)
The same night I phoned both Lasantha and Raja Mahendran and told them what the President had told us. (See http://www.freemed iasrilanka.org/English/news.php?id =1113§ion=news).
After Lasantha, was killed this same President is saying that Lasantha Wickrematunge was a very good friend of his! That Lasantha and he had dinner together! And a lot of other stories.
Last supper
This is like the legend about the dinner invitation to those marked out for assassination by the Mafia. I don't know whether Lasantha had dinner with the Mafia or with Mahinda Rajapakse. But I know one thing: he never went to the breakfast meetings with the President like all the other editors. It seems that if a Sri Lankan journalist is to survive, he or she should never miss breakfast with the President.
Individual terrorism will result only in short-term advantages. In the short term, a government can control the media. However, it cannot be done over the long term. What was the fate of President Premadasa with the murder of Richard de Soyza?
No doubt the bouquets he received for suppressing the JVP during that period and for other factors would have encouraged him to take that suppressive approach. Weren't members of the smaller political parties who were frightened and became apprehensive by the smallest of actions, be ever so grateful to Premadasa for saving their lives? Didn't they join the UNP in hordes?
Yet, all these advantageous factors turned to be a mirage with the murder of Richard de Soyza. His worst enemy turned out to be the political victories, such as the suppression of the JVP, that generated in him an overweening confidence. Will the Rajapakse government forget this political lesson?
(Uvindu Kurukulasuriya is the convenor of the Free Media Movement in Sri Lanka. He was forced to flee the country in the aftermath of Lasantha Wickrematunga's assassination)
12 Comments
These factors are not true to my knowledge.All the sri lankan are behind the present president.This would prove with so many political polls recently held and some of the political parties and alias want to stop these trend. I would suggest these media people or other oppotion parties to come forward and try to win the hearts of the people rather than going after low scale political scores.Non of these media organization are accpeted by majority of the people in the country.
I am an independent of all Sri Lankan politics and living in overseas last two decades. I follow most of the events, the war, major developments that are going on in Sri Lanka. It is definitely not right for a democratically elected govt to covertly or overtly kill people who criticize the very government that people have chosen.
This is a problem that many politicos in South Asia still do not understand and they go wild after got elected. Another problem is nominating individuals who are not suitable to any office in any government. If the media is strong enough to criticize such unsuitable people before the election and reject them openly then they will not have a chance to be elected assuming no fraud at the election. Sri Lankan politics is still very immature in these aspects and the lack of ethics and proper conduct of party leaders has made the Sri Lanka parliament sometime looks like a mad dog house as we can see on online video clips.
Having said all that, the investigative journalism and writing hearsay articles in newspapers and other media are completely two different things. It has been revealed after Mr. Lasantha Wickrematunge’s death that he was regularly writing three to four articles of government mishandling of funds and corruption related investigations every week. As a person who has lived long enough in a Western country and paying much attention on what is going around the world, I would like to point out one important thing here.
Though I am not a journalist, I have learnt that the investigative reporting is a serious business that needs many many months of hard work to materialize a real case with crystal clear evidence. This is where Sri Lankan reporters lack the skills and know how.
Just trying to imitate as investigative reporter or just writing accusations against the sitting government to sell the papers are not serving anybody except themselves. I would like to remind that a clever investigative reporter would work on a case that can create a real explosion of anger and chaos at every street corner such that the government has no other choice except allowing the legal process to continue and prosecute those involved.
I wonder how many such cases have resulted with these so-called investigative reports in Sri Lanka. I hope based on good investigative reporting, the people for Sri Lanka will see the fraudsters and corrupt politicos taken in shackles to the courts someday.
Thank you.
Lasantha's asasination taken place a few months back and the writer could have revealed those information right at the time. Otherwise the writer could have at least written this letter when President Mahinda Rajapaksa was telling that he being a good friend of Lasantha.
The writer, you may have been tuned up by a pro LTTE person who tries to slang mud on Mahinda Rajapaksa. You are too late. General public do not believe you.
I am happy to read Mahi Jaya's comments here. Lasantha's news paper circulation is much limited to the English Speaking people in Colombo. The news paper carried lot of extremely damaging and slanderous articles on people and investigation reports with no evidence but just accusations. There was a time in Sri Lanka where journalist had a great respect and deep commitment to journalistic ethics. Today's journalist in Sri Lanka lack this important element. Further they are far behind in their investigative abilities and know how to conduct and present a good investigative report. When I visited Sri Lanka about three years ago I read an article in Sunday Leader about the First Lady's visit to a Hindu temple in India. The article was very distasteful and disrespected the first lady who has nothing to do with politics. The newspaper industry have the responsibility to teach the journalists professional and ethical responsibilities. Further the judicial system in Sri Lanka also responsible for not taking proper actions against these bogus journalists on a timely manner.
I have no reason to doubt what is written here. The present President is a master politician. He will lie through his teeth forgetting that he has uttered something diametrically opposite in the near past. He banks on the short memories of the population. Thankfully there are journalists who keep records. These are what would expose the President. He has taken the vast majority for fools. When he comes up with answers there is no one to question him. The Statae media just carries what he says. When a courageous journalist finds that he is lying, there is no way that he could confront the president. So Uvindu, be careful. I admire your courage. This could be the last response you are getting back in Sri Lanka. If you are abroad, you would certainly have a longer life span.
Chinthaka
In the histroy of world many leaders use array of tools to stay in power. The most popular tool was the war. This is same with Hitlor, Stalin, Musoline, even Presdient Bush. If we carefully analyze the reasons they went for war, obviously to stay in power putting the problems in the country under the carpet. This is same with Mahinda Rajapakse. Ture, he is fighting a war with terrorists. Yet, he has na plan after the war. he has no plan to recover the ecnomy of the country. Today, rupee has gone to the dog. everything is expensive. The sweet words for every question in the country are brave soldiers and war. When the journalists talk about other problems in the country obviously they become traitors. People are blind. They are not allowed to see or hear anything other than war. But it is very difficult to place a wall between truth and lie. People will break the wall to unearth the truth. -RANJITH PERERA-London
In the histroy of world many leaders use array of tools to stay in power. The most popular tool was the war. This is same with Hitlor, Stalin, Musoline, even Presdient Bush. If we carefully analyze the reasons they went for war, obviously to stay in power putting the problems in the country under the carpet. This is same with Mahinda Rajapakse. Ture, he is fighting a war with terrorists. Yet, he has na plan after the war. he has no plan to recover the ecnomy of the country. Today, rupee has gone to the dog. everything is expensive. The sweet words for every question in the country are brave soldiers and war. When the journalists talk about other problems in the country obviously they become traitors. People are blind. They are not allowed to see or hear anything other than war. But it is very difficult to place a wall between truth and lie. People will break the wall to unearth the truth. -RANJITH PERERA-London
For every murder against journalists, the country is loosing more and more of her democracy.
I would say that these murderers are no better than the terrorists. They are terrorising the society. If the president really is behind and supporting, or even order these crimes, then he is a terrorist along with the simple criminals who killed Mr Lasantha Wickrematunge and all the other journalists. The journalists who are sacrificing their lives for their job, for what they believe in, they are the real heroes. They are not just sacrificing their lives for the job. They are doing it for a better Sri Lanka. For the love of their country. We should all stand up for the democracy in our Sri Lanka and protect it. The people are stronger. The evil powers can't win.
that is the truth.
Kumara, The Presidents Popularity and the rule of law are two separate things.
Srilankas culture of impunity continues regardless and it happened way before Percy became President.
Will we all agree the best President we had was DBW. I disagreed with his views on the minority question on Srilanka yet under his regime people breathed easily. His life in this regard was a success.
In response to Mahi, investigative journalism in N. America is under pressure with those exposed threatening to withdraw advertising spend through their cohorts from the media concerned.
The Jewish lobby is so powerful that media practices self censorship on matters related to Israel and it's policies.
Back to SL, we must all live in hope that things will get better.
Lasantha went beyond just hoping, demanding accountability and paid the ultimate price.
All right thinking People will know who the real Terrorist is. In my personal opinion, I would rate Prabakaran and Mahinda Rajapakse as Terrorists.
re third comment by one Kodisinghe. I've written this in Sinhala the first weekend after Lassantha has kiiled. see 18th January Ravaya.