World Press Freedom Day 2015 and Freedom of Expression in Sri Lanka
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Transcript of World Press Freedom Day 2015 and Freedom of Expression in Sri Lanka
7/21/2019 World Press Freedom Day 2015 and Freedom of Expression in Sri Lanka
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World Press Freedom day 2015 andFreedom of Expression in Sri Lanka
• by Ruki - on 05/0/2015
•
• “ All must be free to express their concerns, their needs, their aspirations and
their fears” Pope Francis, at the Katunayake International airport, on arrival to
Sri Lanka on !th "anuary #$%&
Amidst killin's, disappearances, assaults, threats, intimidations, harassments and
restrictions on (ournalists, )idespread self*censorship and exile of (ournalists critical
of the 'overnment, surveillance and blockin' of )ebsites, and absolute impunity, there
)as very little to celebrate +orld Press Freedom day in Sri Lanka last fe) years&
Perhaps the only thin' to celebrate )as the resilience of fe) )ho dared to express their
vie)s at 'rave risk to themselves, collea'ues, families and institutions&
ut this year, thin's are different& -he last . months has 'iven somethin' to celebrate
for free expression in Sri Lanka& +ebsites that )ere blocked )ere unblocked& State
media has stopped discreditin' those critical of the 'overnment in po)er& Some of us
)ere invited for talk sho)s and asked for intervie)s by the very same state media that
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had previously branded as traitors and terrorist supporters& -hou'h not perfect, a
/i'ht to Information Act is expected to be enacted in the comin' )eeks, after the
drafts have been circulated in all three lan'ua'es and several consultations& A stream
of forei'n (ournalists have visited Sri Lanka and many )ho met me have told it )as
much easier for them to obtain (ournalistic visas& -ravelin' around the hi'hly
militari0ed 1orth appears to be sli'htly easier, and unlike before, I have encountered
less obstructions and intimidations and others have expressed similar sentiments&
Forei'n nationals are no lon'er re2uired to obtain special permission from the
3inistry of 4efense to visit the 1orth&
I have not come across ne) 'uidelines, instructions restrictin' freedom of expression
by the ne) 'overnment& ut the formal circular issued by the 156 secretariat
restrictin' the issuin' of press releases, conductin' of press conferences and issuin' of
trainin' for (ournalists has not been for formally )ithdra)n& -he Prevention of
-errorism Act 7P-A8 continues to pose 'rave threats to freedom of expression and
even freedom after expression& -he investi'ation a'ainst me under the P-A for char'es
of supportin' terrorism, includin' 9sendin' information abroad” continues to date,
and the court order restrictin' my freedom of expression is still in place, despite efforts
of my la)yers to have these concluded& For more than t)o months, there has been no
in2uiry by the 1ational :uman /i'hts ;ommission on a complaint lod'ed by me
a'ainst an incident related to the restriction of freedom of expression by the Police
)ithin court premises&
Impunity
Like last years, and probably for foreseeable future, +orld Press Freedom day in Sri
Lanka )ill be commemorated in the dark shado)s of killin' of )ell kno)n -amil
(ournalist Sivaram 7-araki8 on #<th April #$$% and the deadly attack on -amil daily
=thayan press in "affna on #nd 3ay #$$>& -he only )ay this dark shado) )ill be
removed is by holdin' perpetrators accountable& -he ne) 'overnment has announced
investi'ations into fe) hi'h profile cases such as murder of Sunday Leader editor
Lasantha +ickramathun'a and disappearance of ;artoonist Pra'eeth ?kneli'oda& ut
pro'ress made in last . months even on these cases is not clear& Accordin' to Sandya
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?kneli'oda, )ife of Pra'eeth, there has not been any marked difference about the slo)
and lethar'ic court proceedin's& 3ost importantly, there are hundreds of incidents
a'ainst free expression, for )hich )e a)ait (ustice&
;ontinuin' attacks and threats to free expression under the ne) 'overnment
April )as probably the )orst month for free expression under this ne) 'overnment&
6n #nd 3ay, a (ournalist )as reported as havin' bein' attacked by a local politician
due to his efforts to report problems in a local health clinic& A prominent political
commentator and university academic )as hospitali0ed after bein' attacked on st
3ay, as he )as observin' a 3ay 4ay rally in ;olombo by political forces loyal to the
former President& ?arlier in 3arch, several persons dubbin' a film related to the
militari0ation )ere arrested by the Police in ;olombo, and e2uipment of the studio
confiscated& In the ?astern province, it )as reported that harassment and intimidation
of family of a 3uslim )omen activist continued to date, after she had expressed her
opinions about le'ali0ation of sex )ork, back in #$#&
From the 1orth, an alarmin' number of threats to free expression has been reported
a'ainst -amil (ournalists& 6ne )as prevented from coverin' a discussion related to
pollution of )ater& Another -amil )as reported as detained in "affna on #!rd April&
Four -amil (ournalists based in the northern cities of 3annar and @avuniya )ere
summoned for 2uestionin' by the Police in ;olombo on #th April& Another (ournalist
had received a similar summons that resulted in him bein' char'ed )ith publishin'
false information on #>th April& Police in the northern city of "affna had arrested 1&
Lo'athayalan, a freelance (ournalist )orkin' for the ne)spaper =thayan, on th April
because of an article about police violence on a school 'irl& 6n Bth April, three -amil
(ournalists )ere harassed and threatened by Police officers in "affna, after they )ent to
report about a protest a'ainst oil pollution& Also in April, the @ice ;hancellor of the
=niversity of "affna had refused permission for a discussion about a book )ritten by a
=niversity academic, about the end of the )ar& Fe) )eeks after the election of the ne)
President, it )as reported that the Sri Lankan military had threatened displaced
residents from @alikamam 1orth in "affna, not to share their experiences and vie)s
)ith the ritainCs Forei'n and ;ommon)ealth 6ffice minister, :u'o S)ire, durin' his
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visit to "affna&
/eturn of exiled (ournalists
Fe) days before +orld Press Freedom days his year, ! exiled (ournalists D human
ri'hts defenders 7:/4s8 returned to Sri Lanka& -he stru''le to come home )as a lon'
and frustratin' stru''le )ith very little action from the Sri Lankan 'overnment and the
?mbassy& Several other (ournalists D :/4s are considerin' returnin'& At least t)o in
?urope have told me they have renounced their refu'ee status and )ere 'oin' to
return to Sri Lanka in the comin' months& 6thers have told me they may come later if
the situation is conducive and safe for their return& Amon'st those plannin' to return
temporarily in comin' months is Poddala "ayantha, a )ell kno)n (ournalist and press
freedom activist )ho had fled to India in the face of death threats, returned to Sri
Lanka, and then a'ain )as compelled to leave for =S after a brutal assault and death
threats as he )as recoverin'& PoddalaCs )ife told me she is still very scared for his
safety if he returns& /ecent incidents I have mentioned above )ill not encoura'e exiled
(ournalists to return& So many do not )ant to return as yet, as they fear persecution
and are not assured of safety, includin' pendin' investi'ations or arrest )arrants
a'ainst them& Some do not )ant to return due ill*health, situation of children )ho have
learnt lan'ua'es and settled do)n in ne) countries and some )ant to return )hen
they 'et permanent residency or citi0enship in countries they have 'ot refu'ee status&
Some may have left even )hen they didnCt face serious risks, and they are unlikely to
return from )hat they may considered to be 'reener pastures&
Immediately after the th "anuary elections, the ne) 'overnment invited exiled :/4s
and (ournalists to return& 4espite some belated efforts to 'et do)n the three (ournalists
I mentioned above, $$ days do)n the line, this appears to be hollo), rhetorical
statement& If the ne) President and his 'overnment are serious and 'enuine, they
should establish a concrete pro'ram of action to assist exiled :/4s and (ournalists to
return, )ithout further delay& Such actions could include the appointment of focal
point )ith the 3inistry of Forei'n Affairs or any other relevant 3inistry, instructions
to all Sri Lankan embassies to extend full cooperation for exiled (ournalists to return,
clarifyin' about any pendin' arrest )arrants or investi'ations a'ainst any (ournalist in
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exile, facilitatin' 9come and see visits”, updatin' them on status of investi'ations
related to attacks and threats a'ainst them, opportunities to reclaim (obs lost due to
exile and settin' up a voluntary trust fund to assist those )ho need financial
assistance& 3ost of :/4s and (ournalists )ho had 'one into exile have suffered
terribly E before they )ent and after bein' exiled& -heir families have suffered& -hey
had to 'ive up a lot& -hey deserve respect and understandin' for their decisions to stay
a)ay or return& If and )hen they )ant to return, they should be supported morally,
politically and financially, considerin' specific needs and )hether the return is
permanent or temporary& -he Sri Lankan 'overnment must take the lead role in this&
3edia institutions, media freedom and human ri'hts or'ani0ations 7local and
international8, forei'n 'overnments, donors and all others )ho value human ri'hts
and media freedom, especially Sri Lankan people, should support and contribute to
such efforts&
/ecent concerns by local and international 'roups
Immediately after the election of the ne) President in "anuary, Pope Francis visited
the country, and in his openin' remarks on arrival at the airport, he stressed the
importance of everyone bein' free to express themselves freely& In 3arch, the
International 3edia 3ission to Sri Lanka reported about continuin' self*censorship
due to uncertainty about the political future of the country, restrictions on access to
information and continuin' surveillance and monitorin' of (ournalists& /eporters
)ithout orders, the International Federation of "ournalists and the ;ommittee to
Protect "ournalists have expressed concern about some of the recent incidents a'ainst
freedom of expression in Sri Lanka& In April, a -amil ne)s editor in "affna )as
reported to have told that his (ournalists 9do not feel terribly free”, and that Police and
other security institutions are still not )illin' to 'ive them the space they need to do
their (ob as reporters& -he Free 3edia 3ovement of Sri Lanka continued to express
concern about continuin' attacks on free expression and impunity in the last fe)
months, includin' in a statement issued about recent incidents on eve of +orld Press
Freedom day, on #nd 3ay&
Prospects and challen'es
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;onvertin' state media from bein' propa'anda or'ans of the 'overnment in po)er to
Public Services, buildin' effective self re'ulation and stron' le'al and institutional
frame)orks that could act as a buffer a'ainst authoritarian 'overnments )ill be key
challen'es in this relatively more positive atmosphere for freedom of expression& A
ma(or challen'e no) )ill be for (ournalists, media institutions and media freedom
or'ani0ations to en'a'e in self reflections, about our o)n political, ethnic and other
biases, self*censorships, particularly about sub(ects considered taboo such as
accountability for alle'ations of )ar crimes durin' last phase of the )ar, char'es of
'enocide, political solution to the ethnic conflict, caste, sexuality and 'ender etc&
-hrou'hout the dark and dan'erous years under the /a(apakses, the coura'e,
commitment and creativity of fe) committed to free expression, kept alive hopes for
democracy and human ri'hts in Sri Lanka and the stru''le must continue )ithout too
much complacency&
Posted by -havam