Continued attacks on Media -UNP

(January 24, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Speaking to the media today (23 Jan) , at the UNP media unit , UNP Gen. Secretary Tissa Attanayake said ,what is true of the limb is true of the whole. The Govt. ‘s continued failure to apprehend the culprits in the countless number of cases of murders and violence against media personnel, and attacks launched on media Institutions reflect very poorly on the Govt. It is clear evidence that either these crimes are committed by Govt. backed criminals or the criminals are enjoying impunity with protection and influence provided from high places, Attanayake alleged . Even this morning the Chief Editor of Rivira newspaper is in the intensive care unit of a hospital after being attacked by an unidentified gang, he lamented.

The Govt. has still not been able to track down the perpetrators even after two weeks since the MTV/ Sirasa TV station was attacked , and Lasantha Wickremetunge was murdered. Of what purpose is such a Govt. which cannot maintain law and order in the country?, he asked.

Former UNP leader Late D. S. Senanayake secured independence for Sri Lanka without shedding a drop of Sri Lankan blood . But that independence won for the people has lost its meaning and purpose by this Govt.’s failure to stop the bloodshed of its own people and systematic erosion of media and people’s freedom .

The 61st independence day celebrations by the UNP will be on a different note this year ,as a number of Opposition parties including the SLFP (M), the SLMC, the Democratic peoples Front , Left Front , many civil organizations and Trade unions are scheduled to participate . The celebration will be held at Kongahawatte playground, Kundasale , Kandy , on the 4th of February 2009. , he stated.

Referring to the up coming Provincial Council elections , how can laws be implemented when the President himself is violating election laws ? he asked. State property, State vehicles and State funds are being used for election purposes .In the Central province , a number of Presidential coordinating offices are proliferating . This is for purposes of violence judging by the death and disaster that was inflicted on Dr. John Pulle in Anuradhapura at the NCP elections where too similar coordinating offices were opened, he noted .During last week ,the President’s official residence at Kandy was transformed into a Restaurant with sumptuous feasts and parties thrown to attract Govt. servants, Bank employees , Samurdhi beneficiaries and even Estate workers who were all grossly neglected previously by the Govt.. Even gifts were distributed to some guests . The whole objective : they are all ordered to work for the Govt. at the elections . But, the worst part of all these gimmicks is , it is people’s money the President and his Govt. are wasting to achieve cheap political gains, he regretted.

In Puttalam alone there have been over 20 cases of election violence reported . In many of them it is the Ministers and their goons who have been responsible . The Elections Commissioner (EC) too is crippled , because the Govt. has deliberately not appointed the elections Commission which alone can vest the EC with full authority , he observed. - Sri Lanka Guardian