MEDIAFREEDOM IN SRILANKA Freedom of Expression news from Sri Lanka Monthly report No 06; period covered June 2009 1. 01 st June 2009 - Media worker abducted & released 2. 01 st June 2009 - Senior journalists abducted and assaulted 3. 01 st June 2009 - Two editors arrested 4. 03 rd June 2009 - Religious statue smashed 5. 00 June 2009 - Journalist threatened by an editor 6. 04 th June 2009 - Poddala Jayantha writes to IGP 7. 03 rd June 2009 - University cultural events limited to one day 8. 04 th June 2009 - President's coordination secretary threaten a journalist 9. 05 th June 2009 - President requests media self censor 10. 07 th June 2009 - Journalists paid by the LTTE will be exposed - Minister 11. 10 th June 2009 - UNP wants PSC to probe attacks on journalists 12. 10 th June 2009 - No need for PSC; media minister 13. 10 th June 2009 - Former Ontario premier denied visa for being outspoken 14. 12 th June 2009 - "Economist " June issue banned 15. 12 th June 2009 - Five journalists under death threat 16. 14 th June 2009 - Defense secretary criticise some media 17. 15 th June 2009 - Case against Journalist withdrawn 18. 15 th June 2009 - Editor questioned for sources 19. 16 th June 2009 - Editor Questioned over a news story 20. 18 th June 2009 - Journalist barred form covering ministerial visit 21. 18 th June 2009 - Two Tamil journalists threatened 22. 19 th June 2009 - Journalist Wamanan case sent to AG for ruling 23. 23 rd June 2009 - Lawyers withdraw form case filed by defence secretary 24. 23 rd June 2009 - Contempt of court against the Sunday Leader 25. 23 rd June 2009 - Dissenting expats to be charged 26. 24 th June 2009 - Astrologer arrested for prediction 27. 24 th June 2009 - Tamil female journalist abducted 28. 25 th June 2009 - Jaffna newspapers burned 29. 25 th June 2009 - Press council re-established 30. 25 th June 2009 - Speaker regrets repealing draconian law 31. 25 th June 2009 - Police again fails to submit report on Lasantha killing 32. 28 th June 2009 - Minister Mervyn attack SirasaTV 33. 26 th June 2009 - Jaffna media gets last warning 34. 29 th June 2009 - Press council committee member dropped on political reasons mediafreedom in srilanka Monthly report No 06, period covered June 2009 1 Compiled by a group of journalists working voluntarily. [email protected] 01. 01st June 2009 - Media worker abducted & released On 29 th June the family of Tissa Senadeera, a youth who works at a magazine complained to the Polgasovita police their son had disappeared while coming back home from work. Later it came to know that he had been abducted by a white van and kept in a locked room for few hours. He had been released after a man looked liked the leader of the group visited and shouted that "this is the one". Tissa Senadeera looked like the journalists Poddala Jayantha it is believed that he was abducted in mistaken identity. Abductors had threatened him not to complain but his parents had already lodged the complaint. http://www.lankanewsweb.com/Sinhala/news/2009_06_08_002.html - 02. 01st June 2009 - Senior journalists abducted and assaulted On 1 st of June 2009 around 5.15pm Poddala Jayantha, senior journalist and General Secretary of Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association was abducted by an unknown group in a white van. He was on his way back home form work. Later he was found left on the road side, severely assaulted. He was admitted to ICU of the Colombo general hospital an under went two operations. He was discharged on 26 th June and now lives with his family n their home close to Horana, two hours away from Colombo. http://sunandadeshapriya.wordpress.com/2009/06/01/ 03. 01rd June 2009 - Two editors arrested On 1 st June 2009 late evening police arrested Bennet Rupasinghe news editor of www.lankaenews.com . on 2 nd June 2009 morning its editor and publisher Sandaruwan Senadeera was also arrested. The Special Investigation Unit of the Mirihana Police produced the suspects, Benette Rupasinghe and Sandaruwan Senadeera before the Nugegoda Magistrate on 2 nd . Police submitted that they suspected the involvement of the two journalists to the incident since it had been the suspects who had initially given the news of the assault on Poddala Jayantha to his wife. Two journalists were released on personal bail of Rs. 500,000/ each by Nugegoda Chief Magistrate Vasantha Jinadasa on 2 nd June 2009. http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=50809 04. 03 rd June 2009 - Religious statue smashed On 3 rd June a statue of Jesus Christ that had been installed ten years ago in the premises of the Catholic convent “Prasadani” at Minneriya was vandalised. The Catholic National Association of the Laity of Sri Lanka in a statement said " these despicable acts had taken place on the night of June 3. We are sad to note that similar attacks on Christian places and objects of worship which occurred few years ago and eventually subsided seem to have once again raised its ugly head." http://www.dailymirror.lk/DM_BLOG/Sections/frmNewsDetailView.aspx?ARTID=51348 05. 00 June 2009 - Journalist threatened by an editor On early June journalists Tilak Kodagoda of Ravaya was threatened by Sunday Divaina editor Mr. Gamini Summanasekara. Journalist Kodagoda had published some criticism Mr. Sumansaekra. Angered by the article Mr.Sumanasekera had called Kodagoda at Ravaya news paper phone number and threatened him with death: “I will tell about you to the army commander and get you killed. You better be careful.” (This news was published on 2 nd July so far Mr. Sumnasekara has not sent a denial to the lankanewsweb. According to reliable sources Mr.Sumanasekara's threatening phone call has been recorded.) http://www.lankanewsweb.com/news/EN_2009_07_02_004.html mediafreedom in srilanka Monthly report No 06, period covered June 2009 2 Compiled by a group of journalists working voluntarily. [email protected] 06. 04 th June 2009 - Poddala Jayantha writes to IGP On 04 th June 2009 in a singed letter to Inspector General of Police journalists Poddala Jayantha said: “I write this letter to bring to your notice a shocking incident that I came to know while being treated in National Hospital for the serious injuries sustained in torture by a gang of thugs on June 01, 2009.Benet Rupasinghe and Sandaruwan Senadheera of Lanka-e-News website have been arrested and produced in court regarding the crime against me. These two persons are close professional associates and personal friends of mine. They have taken steps to inform the Inspector General of Police, the President’s office, government ministers and other authorities, media activists and my wife about the incident and I believe that their urgent mediation helped me to save my life at least like this." http://www.lankaenews.com/English/news.php?id=7802 07. 03 rd June 2009 - University cultural events limited to one day In a bid to avert violence in universities, the Ministry of Higher Education has decided to limit all university functions to one day and ban outsiders from attending them. "Undergraduates organise several functions and art festivals such as ‘Nala Mudu Suwanda’ at the Sri Jayewardenepura University and ‘ Mage Deshaya Awadi Karanu Mena ’ at Peradeniya University. These festivals continue for one or two weeks" higher Education Minister Professor Wiswa Warnapala told. The Island. Undergraduates were unhappy with the Minster’s decision. They will launch a mass protest against the Ministry’s decision. http://www.island.lk/2009/06/24/news4.html 08. 04 th June 2009 - President's coordinating secretary threaten journalist On 04 th June it was reported that Kumarasiri Hettige, coordination secretary for the president Rajapaksha had threatened a journalists of Neth FM with death. At the weekly press conference of the government Neth FM journalists played the recorded death threat by Mr. Hettige. Mr. Hettige a former journalist himself had said that he will do the same thing to NETH FM journalist that they did to Poddala (Jayantha) and they should know what happened to Lasantha (Wikrematunge). So far no action has been taken against Mr. Hettige and he continues to act as presidential coordinating secretary. http://www.lankanewsweb.com/news/2009_06_04_002.htm 09. 05th June 2009 - President requests media self censor President Mahinda Rajapaksa addressing the media in an inter-active session with the owners and Chief Editors of print and electronic media made an earnest request not to use the media to disturb communal harmony in the new era that has begun with the defeat of LTTE terrorism and the unification of the Motherland. “My earnest appeal to you is not to write or broadcast anything that would create unnecessary divisions in society,” he said. “There is a danger that even a small incident could be blown up by provocative elements to cause much damage,” he cautioned. “Do not write anything to arouse hatred, do not let another terrorist movement to emerge” http://www.dailynews.lk/2009/06/06/news02.asp 10. 07th June 2009 - Journalists paid by the LTTE will be exposed - Minister On 07 th June 2009 in an interview with state controlled Sinhala weekly " Silumina" cabinet spokesperson for national security Minister Keheliya Rambukwella had stated that government has mediafreedom in srilanka Monthly report No 06, period covered June 2009 3 Compiled by a group of journalists working voluntarily. [email protected] information on journalists who obtained money form the LTTE to work for terrorists. According to the minister government is planning to expose them and talk legal action against them soon.