|
Another blow to media freedom |
 |
|
Medical staff at Kalubowila hospital doing everything in their power to resuscitate Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge after he was shot, but it was to no avail. Mr. Wickramatunga was pronounced dead after more than three hours of intensive surgery. Pic by Dinuka Liyanawatte |
By Dinidu de Alwis and Ananda Weerasuriya
Media freedom in Sri Lanka suffered its biggest ever blow yesterday with the assassination of the Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge.
The outspoken Editor was shot dead by unidentified gunmen while he was travelling in his car in Attidiya at Dehiwela last morning.
Mount Lavinia police said Mr. Wickrematunge’s vehicle was obstructed by four motor cyclists near the Malagalage Junior School while he was on his way to work. The gunmen shot him and cut him with sharp weapons.
Passers-by and those in the vicinity had rushed Mr. Wickrematunge to Kalubowila Hospital.
An eyewitness, who worked at a nearby garage, said he saw Wickrematunge’s car on the road with two black coloured motor cycles on either side of the car while two others stopped in front of the car obstructing its path.
“I saw two persons dressed in black, who were wearing black helmets jab something wrapped in newspapers into the car, and then all four of them got onto their bikes and went towards the Galle road,” he said, and added that he along with a few others then hurried towards the car. Upon seeing Mr. Wickramatunge who was badly injured, they stopped a van passing by and rushed him to the Kalubowila Hospital.
Describing the sequence of events Colombo South Teaching Hospital Director Dr. Anil Jayasinghe, said Mr. Wickramatunga was unconscious and in a critical condition with gunshot injuries at the time of admission to the accident ward.
“Our initial plan was to resuscitate him and transfer him to the National Hospital for brain surgery, but he was not in a stable condition,” Dr. Jayasinghe said
A team of more than 20 medical specialists including Prof. Mohan de Silva, Dr. Himashi Kularatne and National Hospital Director Dr. Hector Weerasinghe were called in an attempt to revive Wickramathunge.
“But the extensive injuries he had received were life threatening, and there was severe damage caused to his brain and despite the best efforts of the medical team, Mr. Wickramatunge succumbed to his injuries,” Dr. Jayasinghe said.
He said a magisterial inquiry was conducted, and the body removed to the Judicial Medical Officer’s office. Mr. Wickramatunge was 51 at the time of his death.
Many politicians from various opposition parties and colleagues from the media fraternity were seen at the hospital. They condemned the dastardly and brazen attack on Mr. Wickramatunga.
Police media spokesman Ranjit Gunasekera told Daily Mirror that four police teams from the Mirihana and Mt. Lavinia police stations were deployed to investigate the killing of Mr. Wickramatunga.
He said the Government Analyst Department, and fingerprint specialists were called in to the scene of the crime to assist in the investigations.
Government Analyst Department sources said there were no clues in the car in the form of empty bullet casings or gun shot damages and added that they had requested the police to produce the car for further inspection.
This brutal attack comes a few days after yet another unidentified gang armed with T-56 rifles and explosives stormed the MTV/MBC transmission station and studio complex at Depana in Pannipitiya and destroyed the main control room.
He received many death threats: Lal
By Yohan Perera
Leader Publications Chairman Lal Wickrematunge said his brother and Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge had received death threats recently and added that the police were even now ignoring requests for protection for the newspaper.
“I asked the IGP for protection after this attack but he was unable to come to the phone as he was at a meeting,” Mr. Wickrematunge said when asked if the newspaper had sought police protection after the killing. He said it was obvious that Lasantha was under threat as he was shot at on an earlier occasion and the press set on fire.
“Lasantha who was highly critical of the government was cited as an example to show there is media freedom in Sri Lanka but now with his killing, a barbaric act, every one can see what is going on in this country,” a shocked Mr. Wickramatunge told Daily Mirror Meanwhile staff members of the newspaper were in tears and in shock at the hospital following the shooting in broad daylight. Lasantha was known to have maintained a close rapport with the staff, especially the journalists.
Editors Guild condemns
The Editors Guild of Sri Lanka, yesterday, condemned the killing of Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge in the severest possible terms, and recorded its disgust at the trend in which media freedom, “or what is left of it in Sri Lanka,” is being trampled upon.
“This incident, coming in the wake of the arson attack on the MTV/MBC station early on Tuesday morning, clearly displays a complete disregard for Democracy and the Rule of Law,” the statement said.
The statement further said: “What we are witnessing is an ongoing campaign against the dissemination of information to the citizenry and democratic dissent. An adversarial relationship between any government and the media is good for governance and Lasantha epitomized this. It is also the inalienable right of the people to be kept informed and to decide on the choice of media.
“What is most disconcerting is that there is no real attempt to stop or in the least- discourage this violent campaign that has been unleashed.
“The finger, therefore, would point in the direction of the Government due to the inaction on its part to stem this slide into authoritarianism that the people of this country abhor.
“The Guild calls upon the Government to investigate this despicable crime and expresses its sympathies to the family of Mr. Wickrematunge.”
Govt. shocked at Lasantha killing
The government yesterday expressed its shock and dismay at the assassination of Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge and said President Mahinda Rajapaksa had instructed Police Chief Jayantha Wickremaratne to conduct a thorough investigation and bring the assassins to book immediately.
Media Minister Anura Priyadarsahana Yapa told a news conference that the President was particularly saddened at the attack as he was to host Mr. Wickrematunge and his bride at Temple Trees shortly.
“Lasantha had invited President Rajapaksa for his wedding but the President did not attend on security advice. But the newly wed couple had been invited by the President to Temple Trees,” Minister Yapa said.
Mr. Yapa responded to queries by journalists and said that there were many theories floating around on the MTV/MBC attack and the assassination of Mr. Wickramatunge.
“One theory is that this is an attempt to divert public attention from the military victories. There is country-wide euphoria on the series of victories by the security forces in the North. The other is that the LTTE or an underworld gang or even a political element may have done this to tarnish the government’s image,” he stressed.
He said that the government would do everything in its power to bring the perpetrators to book with regard to the attack on the MTV/MBC last Monday and the assassination of Mr. Wickramatunge.
SAJ
Funeral on Monday
The funeral of Mr. Lasantha Wickrematunge will take place on Monday (12). The remains now lie at his residence -- 120/5A, Robert Gunawardena Mawatha, Battaramulla.