History of attacks Free Media: Cornerstone of democracy

Lasantha Wickrematunge

There is a trend against the media, where Governments, who do not find a print or electronic telecast to be in agreement with their political thoughts and beliefs, have the architect/author arrested or even, abducted and subject to intimidation and harassment. 

Ruling politicians expect the media to fall in line with the ideology of the powers that be or face the unpleasant consequences, earlier at the hands of hired thugs, lately, the law enforcement authorities. 
The culture of violence against journalists in Sri Lanka started in the late 1970s. In 1981, a Tamil journalist was killed due to his criticism of the conduct of the highly rigged DDC election in Jaffna and the burning of Asia’s well-stocked library during J.R. Jayewardene’s rule. A photo-journalist of Upali Newspapers was killed in the early 1980s.   

"Under the Ranil-Sirisena Yahapalana Government from 2015 to 2019, press freedom improved to a certain degree with the easing of media restrictions; an independent commission was instituted to begin investigations into torture, murder, arbitrary arrests and disappearances of journalists."

Extra time in examining excreta? 

The mastermind of the recent rotten-egg throw at an Opposition political leader by two ex-military personnel attached to a security firm owned by a pro-Government entrepreneur is still at large. The Police are taking extra time in examining who is the mastermind behind hurling a pot of human excreta at Journalist Chamuditha Samarawicrema’s residence in Gangadara Mawatha.  

Article 14(1)(a) of the Constitution of Sri Lanka guarantees the Freedom of the press. 
It says, “The freedom of speech and expression including publication”. However, widespread suppression of the media, who are critical of the Government has demoted Sri Lanka to 165th [Reporters Without Borders’s Press Freedom Index ] place out of 180, as abductions, murders, physical attacks, and threats continue. 

It is happening in the world’s top democracies as well; in the UK, Boris Johnson and his government have been accused of interference with press freedom. A senior journalist has been arrested, while a minister has attacked another on Twitter in the course of last week.  
A supervisory body has cautioned that press freedom is being eroded under Boris Johnson’s Government. In June 2021, the Indian Supreme Court quashed a sedition case against a senior journalist for his criticism in a YouTube telecast on the Union Government and the Prime Minister.  

"A supervisory body has cautioned that press freedom is being eroded under Boris Johnson’s Government. In June 2021, the Indian Supreme Court quashed a sedition case against a senior journalist for his criticism in a YouTube telecast on the Union Government and the Prime Minister."

The Court upheld the right of journalists to criticize the measures of the government with a view to improving them through legal means. Vinod Dua, Padma Shri awardee’s “strong words” of condemnation about the ruling regime did not amount to sedition.
“The time is long past when the mere criticism of governments was sufficient to constitute sedition. The right to utter honest and reasonable criticism is a source of strength to a community rather than a weakness”, the judgment recorded.

Lasantha Wickrematunga, the editor of the Sunday Leader, was gunned down during President Mahinda Rajapaksa rule in January 2008. 
His daughter, Ahimsa accused Ranil Wickremesinghe, Prime Minister of failing to prosecute Gotabhaya for his alleged involvement in the murder. “From the day my father died, you have invoked his name to win votes. My father’s murder was a prop in the 2015 parliamentary and presidential elections that made you Prime Minister. You brought President (Maithripala) Sirisena to power and won control of parliament by promising justice for my father’s murder,” she wrote. [As claimed by some, based on the stupid theory “who benefitted?”, RW is responsible] 

A picture, they say, ‘Is worth a thousand words. A ‘cartoon’ gives a better idea of what the creator intends. Yoonus, of Aththa [Formerly Thinakaran and Daily News], could rip the political institution apart, also featured humorous dialogues without saying a word, through Communist Party newspaper, Aththa. 
When R. Premadasa became President in 1988, Yoonus continued to draw cartoons critical of him inviting most harrowing experiences.
In Yoonus’ own words to American author, John Lent in 2001, “One day in August 1992, about 20 thugs came to my house in three vehicles.[there were no white vans then, only green Pajeroes] A Minister’s bodyguard broke my teeth by shoving a revolver into my mouth in the presence of my wife, and another pointed a gun to my head threatening to kill me if I draw any cartoons against His Excellency. They returned the very next day, stabbed me and smashed up my equipment and furniture.” Yoonus had to vacate his house and live in a small room in the Aththa office.  

Chamuditha Samarawickrama

"Ruling politicians expect the media to fall in line with the ideology of the powers that be or face the unpleasant consequences, earlier at the hands of hired thugs, lately, the law enforcement authorities."

Only Sir John Kotalawala, Bandaranaike, J.R. Jayewardene and Dudley Senanayake tolerated local Cartoonists. The Editors Guild honoured Yoonus with the Distinguished Service Gold Medal award in 2003.
Infringements of press freedom in Sri Lanka are quite well-known; they peaked in the late 1980s, and between 2005 and 2015. On October 12, Kanapathipillai Kumanan and Shanmugam Thavaseelan, two journalists of the Tamil Guardian were reporting on timber smuggling in Mullaithivu. They were attacked and the goons threatened to kill them. 
Thavaseelan and Kumanan were subjected to threats and intimidation. Ten journalists had been murdered between 1999 and 2009 according to the Committee to Protect Journalists. In addition, another dozen remain missing leading to hundreds of journalists seeking refuge.

Under the Ranil-Sirisena Yahapalana Government from 2015 to 2019, press freedom improved to a certain degree with the easing of media restrictions; an independent commission was instituted to begin investigations into torture, murder, arbitrary arrests and disappearances of journalists.  
However, this relative improvement was short-lived. Ranil Wickremesinghe, the new Prime Minister abused his Parliamentary privileges in the House to intimidate and threaten the entire media community by mentioning the names of a few reputed journalists [focusing his eyes on the Press gallery], he issued a warning to the Editor of a reputed national newspaper, he said something to the effect, ‘You endeavoured to send me home, have you succeeded? Bear in mind, now it’s my turn.’ 

“It is not the bruises on the body that hurt. It is the wounds of the heart and the scars on the mind.”--Aisha Mirza
Thevis Guruge, veteran journalist and chairman of the ITN, was killed on 23 July 1989.  Premakeerthi de Alwis, the lyricist and popular broadcaster for Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation was dragged from his home and killed on the night of 31 July 1989. Both murders were blamed on the JVP.
On the morning of 18 February 1990 Richard de Zoysa, a journalist, dramatist, scriptwriter, was abducted by armed men from his home. His mutilated body was found on the Koralawella beach – he had been shot in the head and his jaw broken. 

De Zoysa is believed to have been a victim of State terror set up to destroy JVPers after he exposed the killings of students by the very death squad. 
Editor of the Satana [which exposed personal and political scandals], Rohana Kumara, was shot dead on September 7, 1999. Kumara had been harassed by successive governments. A photographer for Wijeya Publications, Lanka Jayasundara, was killed by a grenade thrown at a music concert, ‘The Temptation’ on December 11, 2004. Ultra-nationalist/racist, Jathika Hela Urumaya claimed it fell on the first death anniversary of Gangodawila Soma Thera. The ‘Sinhala Buddhist’ extremists launched a violent protest against it.  
The writer can be contacted at - kksperera@gmail.com