Journalists and members of civil society gather in Colombo yesterday to voice opposition to attacks on the media in Sri Lanka.
More than 500 journalists and rights activists took to the streets of Colombo on Tuesday to voice concerns about ongoing media intimidation and called on the Sri Lankan government to gurantee their right to freedom of expression.
“In not a single case of killings or abductions have the culprits been arrested or punished yet,” said Sunil Jayasekera, convener of the Free Media Movement (FMM).
“Journalists do not have faith in government investigations and [the government] has not made a genuine effort to bring justice for attacks on journalists and media institutions,” he said.
This month has been dubbed ‘Black January' due to the 2009 killing of prominent anti-government editor Lasantha Wickrematunga, the 2010 disappearance of online journalist/cartoonist Prageeth Eknaligoda, and due to several attacks on media outlets including the Tamil-language Uthayan newspaper.
During the protest, Jayasekera held a placard that read “5 years since the killing of Lasantha/The killers are still out free” while other journalists held photographs of murdered or disappeared journalists, and tied black ribbons over their mouths in a symbolic gesture.
He said that trade unions and civil society organizations opposed to the government's “oppression and lawlessness” had also joined in the demonstration.
According to FMM, there have been 138 recorded attacks on journalists and media institutions during the past decade, 17 journalists have been killed during the past seven years, and about 80 journalists have fled the country since 2005.
Jayasekera said that such attacks also contributed toward self-censorship by editors, journalists and media institutions.
Vallipuram Kaanamylnaathan, chief editor at the Uthayan newspaper which has been attacked a total of 36 times since 1998, said that freedom of expression had been “almost nullified” in Sri Lanka.
“When journalists take photos, [in] some instances their cameras are snatched and photos erased,” he added.
Sri Lanka ranked 162nd out of 179 countries in 2013, according to the annual World Press Freedom Index, compiled by Reporters Without Borders. According to Human Rights Watch, the Sri Lankan government also continues to block public access to certain news websites critical of the government.
Government spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella rejected all negative accusations, saying, “We need evidence to carry on investigations on attacks according to the laws in the country. There are no jungle laws here.”
“Those who criticise never help the government to find evidence,” he added.
