Free
Media Movement, Sri Lanka / 11.11.2013/
Press release
FMM
Report: Violations of the Freedom of Expression Rights in Sri Lanka (Aug
– Nov 2013)
The
Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) will be hosting the Commonwealth Heads of Governments
Meeting (CHOGM) this week. Freedom of Express ( FoE) is one of the major values
treasured by the Commonwealth. Freedom
of expression rights are the cornerstone of the democratic governance and
essential tool in promoting and defending all human rights.
The
Free Media Movement emphasised that the Freedom of Expression rights are not
fully respected and continues to be suppressed in the country in its previous
statement/open letter issued on 30 Oct. 2013.
The
reported incidents of the freedom of expression rights violations in Sri Lanka during
the last 3 months are follows:
Sri Lanka: Freedom of expression violations since August 2013
01.
01 Aug 2013: Protestors
shot at; three succumbed to gun shot injuries
Opposition
and human rights activists in Sri
Lanka demonstrated Wednesday to demand that
the government punish those responsible for the military's killing of three
civilians during a recent protest seeking clean drinking water.
02.
04 Aug 2013: Journalists
covering mass protest assaulted by the military
Journalists
from several media institutions were subjected to a brutal assault while
covering a protest by villagers seeking clean drinking water in the Weliweriya
area in Gampaha. Journalists and camera crew who were covering the protest were
prevented from covering the clash between the villagers and the security forces
by masked military personnel.
-
Statement issued by the Sri Lanka Journalists Trade Union/ Lanka
News Web
03.
06 Aug 2013: Journalist
victimised for criticising Rajapaksha clan by Derana TV
An
announcer Mr. Kalum Amarasinghe in a famous FM channel Derana was was fired via an SMS. He said that the reason
for firing him was his expressions made in the radio program when presenting
two Lankadeepa news headlines regarding the Rathupaswala army assault. He also
said that his sacking was justified by the program director by saying that they
have been ordered not to criticize anything about the President or the defence
secretary.
04.
17 Aug 2013: Tyres
slashed; dead cat placed in front of the journalist's residence
The
tyres of the journalists Mandana and Romesh Abeywickrema family vehicle were
slashed and the body of a dead cat dumped on their door step. And just prior to
these events, a newspaper known for pro-government sympathies had been
attacking Mandana Ismail, describing her as “unpatriotic”.
-
FMM statement
05.
24 Aug 2013: Armed
home invasion of Sri Lankan journalist couple
A
group of masked men, armed with knives and what seemed to be hand grenades,
forced their way into the home of Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema and Romesh
Abeywickrema. The men ransacked the house, took away valuable items including
jewelry and, curiously, closely examined files and documents belonging to the
couple. Mandana is associate editor of the Sunday Leader, and her husband
Romesh is business editor of the same newspaper.
06.
4 Sep 2013: Academics
harassed for attending a seminar
The
Federation of University Teachers’ Associations (FUTA) says a group of
academics who attended a conference overseas have been harassed after the
military claimed that they had gone to attend an event in support of the LTTE.
07.
06 Sep 2013: Editor
killing: Second suspect discharged; Police says no evidence
Second
suspect Kandegedera Priyawansa, who had been on bail in connection with the
killing of former Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickremethunga ( on December 8,
2009) was discharged by Mount Lavinia Chief Magistrate Rangajeewa Wimalasena. The
first suspect Pitchchai Jesudasan had died while in remand last year.TID on the
advise of the Attorney General in the absence of adequate evidence to connect
him to the incident.
08.
06 Sep 2013: Sri
Lankan police question BBC Tamil reporter
Security
officials in Sri Lanka
have questioned a BBC Tamil reporter, Ponnaiah Manikavasagam, over phone
conversations he had with two Tamil prisoners.
Anti-terrorist
police summoned Ponnaiah Manikavasagam for questioning in Colombo on Monday, without disclosing the
reason until he arrived. He was not allowed to have a lawyer present during the
interview.
-
BBC
09.
06 Sep 2013: Navi
Pillay calls for the protection of …. journalists …from reprisal, intimidation
or attack
''I
will be reporting on my observations later in the session, but wish to stress
my immediate concern for the protection of human rights defenders, journalists
and communities I met during my visit from any reprisal, intimidation or
attack.'' – HR high commissioner Navi Pillay
10.
7 Sep: 2013: A large section of the media is
controlled directly or indirectly by the Rajapaksa regime - Editorial, Daily
Mirror
Abraham
Lincoln’s dream seems to have become a nightmare for Sri Lanka with an all
powerful executive presidency getting more powerful, a patched up two- thirds
majority in Parliament and presstitution through which a large section of the
media is controlled directly or indirectly by the Rajapaksa regime.
11.
18 Sep 2013: Editor
fled the country
Senior
journalist and Co-editor of the Sunday Leader newspaper Ms. Mandana Ismail
Abeywickrema fled Sri Lanka
to a North American country on 17th September 2013, according to reliable
information received by the Free Media Movement (FMM). Her journalist husband Romesh Abeywickrema,
the editor of the business section of Sunday Leader and their 12 year old daughter
too has left the country.
FMM
Press Release/18.09.2013/ Lanka
News Web
12.
21 Sep 2013: Journalists
followed and people intimidated
Namini
Wijedasa reporting from the Northern
Province
'On
Monday, we drew up at a roadside shop to interview the vendor. A motorcyclist
drove up, parked outside and issued an innocuous greeting to the man, who
stiffened. The most we could get out of him were monosyllables. A politician in
Mullaitivu predicted that army intelligence will be at his door within hours of
us leaving. “They will want to know who you are, why you came and what you
asked,” he said. There was surveillance even at the gleaming new railway
station in Kilinochchi, where we stopped to do some interviews about how
resumption of train services could promote reconciliation. Eventually two
uniformed army personnel approached us. The more senior in rank asked me
politely whether I was Sinhalese, where I was from, why we were speaking to
people and whether it would cause any problems.
13.
22 Sep 2013: Al Jazeera blocked in Lanka because of election coverage
Al
Jazeera television has been temporarily blocked in Sri Lanka over its election
coverage today. Dialog Television is the main re-broadcaster of Al Jazeera
television in Sri Lanka.Sources said that the Doha based TV station was blocked today by
Dialog Television following one of its reports on the Northern polls.
14.
24 Sep 2013: Police
investigation on journalist Mandana’s “house robbers” on standstill
Investigations
regarding the armed gang of thugs who recently broke into the house of Sunday
Leader Co-Editor Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema’s house in pursuit of certain
documents, have currently come in a standstill, Police sources say.
Ms.
Abeywickrema had informed the Secretary of the Ministry of Law and Order
retired Major General Nanda Mallawarachchi in writing, about the surprisingly
slow pace of the police investigations regarding the matter.
15.
06 Oct 2913: Two
Journalists complain to the police for safety
Two
journalists, Ananda Fernando and C.S. Kodikara, have lodged a complaint with
the Kilinochchi police raising concerns over their safety.
A
statement released by the two journalists said they had sought accommodation at
a room of a house along Jayanthi Nagar in Kilinochchi to cover the Northern
provincial Council elections and had subsequently returned to Colombo on 22nd September.
However
they had later been informed by the house owner that a group of unidentified
men had visited the house after the two journalists left, looking for them.
16.
06 Oct 2013: Journalist
Mandana Ismail kicked out from "Sunday Leader"
"The
Sunday Leader” newspaper has taken steps to immediately terminate the services
of its Co-Editor Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema, and her husband Mr. Romesh
Abeywickrema, the Editor of its Business Section. Ms. Mandana along with her
husband and their 12 year old daughter left the country on the 17th September
at dawn. Later she told the media that she intends to stay abroad for a while
due to the rising death threats leveled against herself and her family.
17.
10 Oct 2013: Sri
Lankan Government try to ban No Fire Zone in Nepal
Once
again the government of Sri Lanka
has tried to prevent an international screening of No Fire Zone: The Killing
Fields of Sri Lanka, this time in Nepal. Yesterday the Nepali
authorities gave the organisers of the Film Southasia festival just 24 hours
notice that they must not show No Fire Zone and two other Sri Lankan films in
their festival as planned
18.
13 Oct 2013: Police
in search for Channel 4 Journalists in Sri Lanka
The
Sunday Leader learns that defence authorities were placed on high alert last
week after information was received that a Channel 4 journalist was in the
country.
Intelligence
agencies have alerted the Terrorist Investigations Department (TID) to look for
the journalist and his partner who were believed to have been staying at an
apartment in Colombo.
19.
18 Oct 2013: We
face threats ever day – Uthyan Editor
“Every
day, our people face risk,” said Mr Thevanayagam. “And not only our
journalists: all our staff are facing this kind of threat.”Last week, a female
receptionist was followed home by a man on a motorbike who told her: “I’m
always watching you. I’m always watching when you are coming to work and going
home.”
20.
20 Oct 2013: UPFA
politico threatened a journalist
A
UPFA Pradeshiya Sabha (PS) member, Nishantha Pradeep Kumara, from Medirigiriya
was arrested for threatening a journalist who exposed illicit felling of trees
on the pretext of flood control measures in the area.
21.
28 Oct 2013: Five journalists threatened in Valikamam
North
Five
newspaper journalists have lodged a complaint with the Coordinator of the Sri
Lanka Human Rights Commission in Jaffna, T.
Kanagaraja, claiming their lives are in danger following a press coverage they
had carried out on 28 in Valikamam North, Jaffna, where some persons were involved in
demolishing the remaining houses within the High Security Zone (HSZ). According
to Kanagaraja, the journalists are S. Nitharsan (Thinakkural), S. Tharsan
(Uthayan photo journalist) S. Rajasekaran (Valumpuri), V. Gajeeban and S. Gajendra (Tamil Mirror).
22.
29 Oct 2013: Commonwealth
calls for action against hate speech and protection of journalists
From
the report of the Commonwealth Observer Mission
to Sri Lanka’s
Northern Provincial Council Election, held on 21 September 2013
5.
To deter hate speech, existing laws need to be enforced and, where necessary,
may be strengthened.
6.
Political Parties must address acts of violence carried out by their supporters
and actively foster a culture of tolerance.
7.
Steps should be taken to develop a media culture conducive to independent and
balanced reporting. All necessary measures should be put in place to protect
the safety of media personnel.
23.
30 Oct 2013: Free
Media Movement seminar raided
A
team of immigration officers raided a workshop held by the Free Media Movement
(FMM) at Janaki Hotel, Colombo,
yesterday afternoon (30). Sources told The Island about eight media
organisations including the International Federation of Journalists were
involved in the three-day seminar, which commenced on Oct. 29.
24.
03 Nov. 2013: Detention
of two IFJ officials is an attempt to intimidate and harass journalists inside
and outside Sri Lanka
The
International Federation of Journalists condemns the detention of Asia-Pacific Director
Jacqui Park
and Asia-Pacific Deputy Director Jane Worthington in Sri Lanka. Ms Park and Ms
Worthington were detained at a press freedom meeting in Colombo on Wednesday and were held in their
hotel and subjected to lengthy interrogation by defence and immigration
officials and the Criminal Investigation Department all Thursday. The IFJ
believes this move by Sri Lankan officials is an attempt to intimidate and
harass journalists inside and outside Sri Lanka
to prevent reporting on the realities of life in Sri Lanka.
25.
05 Nov 2013: Sri Lanka media activists fear crackdown after
arrests
Mr
Sunil Jayasekera, spokesman for the Sri Lankan Free Media Movement (FMM), talks
to journalists in Colombo
on Monday, Nov 4, 2013. A media rights group on Monday expressed fears for the
safety of journalists in Sri Lanka
after Colombo
grilled two Australian activists and seized computer data before kicking them
out. The Free Media Movement (FMM) said it expected a crackdown by the
authorities following last week's questioning of the two International
Federation of Journalists (IFJ) staffers in Colombo.
26.
04th Nov 2013: Threats against Dr. Nimalka
Fernando’s life through state media
On 4th November the Sri Lanka Broadcasting Corporation (SLBC)
broadcast a call in ive programme threatening Dr. Nimalka Fernando's life. Some of the callers called for elimination of
Dr. Nimalka Fernando using the cleaning unit of the Sri Lankan Army. Mr Hudson Samarasinghe who is the Chairman of
the SLBC and moderator of the programme did not stop the callers from making
offensive and derogatory statement nor spreading such violent ideas against Dr.
Fernando. One caller referred to Dr. Fernando as a prostitute.
27.
09 Nov. 2013: GoSL
blocked seminar on 'Commonwealth Values and the Role of the Legal Profession'
by revoking visas
President
of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka (BASL), Upul Jayasuriya, yesterday blamed
the government for not granting visas to the International Bar Association's
Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) delegation.Jayasuriya said in a statement:
"The BASL, in collaboration with the International Bar Association (IBL),
of which the BASL is a member was organizing a seminar on 'Commonwealth Values
and the Role of the Legal Profession' to be held on 13 November 2013 at the
'Grand Monarch' at Thalawathugoda.
28.
10 Nov 2013: Our detention highlights the Sri Lankan government is unwilling to allow
a free exchange of ideas - Aus. senator
Australian Senator Lee Rhiannon has been released from the
custody of Sri Lankan government officials and allowed to leave the country. “Elected officials and members of civil society in Sri
Lanka have provided us with examples of massive illegal land confiscation by
the armed forces; people being jailed and detained with regular disregard for
legal rights; violence, often involving rape of women and children, with no
police investigation of these crimes; and ongoing intimidation of media
workers.” Lee Rhiannon said.
29.
10 Nov 2013: Foreign
Media accredited to cover CHOGM related events only: Ministry Secretary
Foreign
journalists arriving here to cover the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting
(CHOGM), will be accredited only to cover CHOGM related events, Secretary to
the Ministry of Media and Information Charitha Herath said. “There will be no
restrictions on travel within Sri
Lanka for foreign media personnel who arrive
in the country for CHOGM, but only as tourists,” he said.
30.
11 Nov 2013: Protests
banned from 12th to 17th
The
government has decided not to allow public protests in Colombo and other locations for the duration
of CHOGM, and police and the defence sectors have been advised accordingly,
Ravaya reports. The CHOGM takes place from 12 to 17 of November in Colombo city, and also in Hambantota, Hikkaduwa, Galle and Kandy
towns.
The Free Media Movement, Sri lanka
Convener - Sunil
Jayasekara - +94 777751092
Secretary – Kumara Alagiyawanna - + 94 713357013 ;Treasurer – Azam Ameen
C/o SLPI, No 96, Kirula Road, Colombo 05. Tel: +94 115675906
Fax: +94 112573279
Email : fmmsrilanka@gmail.com
