THE MEDIA ANALYSIS September 14, 2015 – September 20, 2015 Vol.05, #36 An In This Week’s TMA: Aperture 01 02 03 04 The OISL PM’s visit: Child rape The Gap report: CEPA takes and murder: Analysis into the “response” centre-stage media fuels approach public outrage ignores Sri Lankan reforms Mindset 01. The OISL report: “response” approach ignores reforms Nationalist opposition to an international investigation is usually The Media Analysis framed as opposing ‘neo-colonial... <<Click header to read more>> Includes: 02. PM’s visit: CEPA takes centre-stage Prime Minister Ranil Wickremasinghe’s visit to India last week A concise summary of the main saw renewed discussion of the controversial India-Sri Lanka Comprehensive Economic... stories in the Sinhala press <<Click header to read more>> Cutting-edge analysis, research and 03. Child rape and murder: media fuels public outrage fact checking The press coverage of the rape and murder of a five-year old girl in Gampaha, the most populous district in Sri Lanka, gave rise to In-depth Gap Analysis of Sinhala and three key observations... <<Click header to read more>> Tamil newspapers Insight into public opinion formation 04. The Gap Analysis The Tamil press reported excessively on the release of the OISL report that was welcomed as the first step towards serving justice to the Tamil community affected... <<Click header to read more>> 05. Other topics covered in reportage 06. This week’s cartoon 1 PolitiCS | 01. The OISL report: “response” approach ignores reforms INTERNATIONAL Relations Issue: Responses to the OISL report remain within a nationalist framework. Opposing the hybrid court Zeid Ra’ad Al Hussein).4 ■ The government must immediately reject the idea of a ■ The GoSL will implement the hybrid court comprising hybrid court proposed to investigate allegations of grave of international judges. This was proposed by the UN war crimes. Such a court would violate the country’s Human Rights Commissioner’s OISL report on alleged democracy. This report is peculiar; we should not accept war crimes. The UN will not influence with the appoint- it since they have not suggested such a court for any ment of judges. Samaraweera says that the domestic other country. In principle the government must be able mechanism will commence in October and will be com- to reject it. The government must counter argue this with pleted by January 2016. The report will be compiled in the reports by Maxwell Paranagama and Desmond de 18 months (the Divaina, Ada, Dinamina, Lakbima and Silva” (Dayan Jayetilleka).1 the Rivira editorials).5 ■ The proposed mechanism is different from decisions ■ The OISL report is published. Many seem to be inter- the UNHRC had made on other countries. The UNHRC preting it even without reading it. It is not surprising speaks so high of democracy. But this mechanism will that this happens in a country where reviews are done disturb the democratic structure of this country. It is on books without reading them. The report recommends a setback to democracy to agree with the hybrid court amending the stubborn way in which Sri Lanka behaves. without knowing what it will comprise of or its nature. It It also recommends taking theoretical advice from is obscure as to how the establishment of a hybrid court abroad when necessary. It is the people who suffer when unique to the north and east will look at the atrocities the a state acts ruthlessly in the face of a crisis. The report LTTE committed in the south. How will investigations recommends bringing justice to the people who suffered commence to investigate murders the LTTE committed, in the north and south (the Sathhanda editorial).6 which the OISL report refers to? These should have been Better governance leads to better relations with resolved prior to agreeing to the report (the Divaina the international community editorial).2 ■ “We will receive the international community’s support ■ “The hybrid court is an international court. The UNHRC to go forward while respecting Sri Lanka’s sovereignty. controls this no matter where in Sri Lanka the office is. It has already commended the strengthening of democ- This is clearly not a domestic mechanism but a branch of racy according to principles of good governance. We will the International Criminal Court (ICC). Despite the new convince the international community that the present government saying they saved the country, they brought Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) will be more pro- an international investigation to the country. It was in gressive than the previous regime” (Minister of Justice the colonial era white judges heard cases. It is obvious Wjeyadasa Rajapakshe).7 from the foreign minister’s statement that foreigners will be allowed to hear cases and define a military that ended ■ “I would like to request the international community the war as criminals. We will make the public aware of to place faith not in the promises the previous govern- this” (NFF leader Wimal Weerawansa).3 ment made but in the new government. We are prepared to draft a new constitution that will give equality to all Backing the hybrid court ethnic groups. The new government is committed to ■ “The UNHRC urged Sri Lanka to establish a Hybrid fulfil justice to all the people. We took measures to give Special Court integrating international judges, prose- the opposition leadership to a Tamil political party. A cutors, lawyers and investigators to address patterns of new government leads the country. Ours is a govern- grave human rights violations that occurred between ment that is bound to protect human rights and to bring the year 2002 and 2011 in Sri Lanka. First and fore- justice to everyone. The government is committed to this most is the absence of any reliable system for victim important and historic journey that we have embarked and witness protection. Second is the inadequacy of Sri upon, which is critical for the realisation of the aspira- Lanka’s domestic legal framework to deal with inter- tions of the people of our country. I urge this Council, national crimes of this magnitude. The third challenge the High Commissioner, our bilateral partners, interna- is the degree to which Sri Lanka’s security sector and tional organisations and also the Sri Lankan diaspora, all justice system have been distorted and corrupted by who wish our country to succeed, to trust us, have faith decades of emergency, conflict and impunity” (United in us, support us and strengthen our hand” (Minister of Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, Prince Foreign Affairs Mangala Samaraweera).8 [01] Sep 17: Rivira, p.1; Divaina, p.1 p.1; Rivira, p.1; Mawbima, p.1; [06] Sep 20: Sathhada, p. 8 [02] Sep 18: Divaina, p.8 Divaina, p.1; Ada, p.1; Dinamina, p.1 [07] Sep 14: Lakbima, p.3; Dinamina, p.6 [03] Sep 18: Divaina, p.14; [05] Sep 18: Divaina, p.1; Ada, p.1; [08] Sep 15: Dinamina, p.7; Divaina, p.4; Mawbima, p.14 Dinamina, p.1; Lakbima, p.1; Lankadeepa, p.16; Lakbima, p.2; [04] Sep 17: Lankadeepa, p.1; Lakbima, Rivira, p.1 Rivira, p.6 © 2015 Verité Research Pvt. Ltd. 2 ■ The OISL report is only a draft. It does not contain final Questioning the government’s capacity for an recommendations. It was a report compiled following a independent investigation decision made in March 2014. The previous government ignored to recognise the importance of holding an inves- ■ The present government has to be accountable as the tigation. If measures had been taken for reconciliation previous government did not take the responsibility of soon after the war, it would have been different. The crimes committed against another group of citizens in hybrid court is not something to be terrorised of. And the country. Samaraweera said that they were ready to it will not be the final recommendation (the Dinamina hold a domestic inquiry with international expertise and editorial).9 as per international standards. He also guaranteed that a Truth Commission will be set up with learnings from ■ “Our media says that it is hybrid and that perpetrators the experience of South Africa. He also mentioned of will be pardoned. According to the OISL report, no one the Working Group on Involuntary and Enforced Dis- has erred. It says that investigations must be held to appearances. The government will not be able to avoid see if war crimes were committed. There were demands a domestic inquiry partly because the solution was pre- for international investigations on alleged war crimes sented as a systematic one and partly because the US even during the J.R. Jayewardene and R. Premadasa agreed with Sri Lanka on a domestic inquiry. Although it eras. We did not agree with those. We focused on what is positive to hold a domestic inquiry, how independently we could do internally. We warn media barons not to it could be implemented is a question (Kusal Perera).14 spread rumours. We also insist on the ones who made these false stories not to do so” (Prime Minister Ranil Disagreements within the TNA 10 Wickremasinghe). ■ A crisis in the TNA emerged parallel to the UNHRC ■ Samaraweera requested the international community to session. Three of the four parties who are in the TNA have confidence in the new government without talking coalition support an international investigation. Leaders of promises and statements the previous government of the EPRLF, PLOTE and TELO informed the UNHRC had made. However, Samaraweera should have refrained of this in writing. They also sent petitions and protested. from talking of the promises the previous government The ITAK in the TNA is the only party that backs a made.