‘The Sri Lankan government is shamefully using antiterrorism laws to silence peaceful critics in the media. This is no way for a government that claims to be a rights-respecting democracy to act.’
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EDITORIAL
[July 30, 2009, Colombo- London-New Delhi- Chennai- Washington- Toronto- Melbourne- Zurich, Sri Lanka Guardian]
The Sri Lanka Guardian (SLG) has come under calculated and determined campaign of threats and intimidation for upholding the fundamental democratic right of media freedom. The SLG is playing an important role of creating a forum for wider views to be expressed without fear, despite the fearful climate prevailing for media in the centralized politics in Sri Lanka.
Within the parameters of media ethics, we give fair chance to reflect wide range of views from pro-government news and views to critical analysis and news about the government and on issues involving the war efforts of the government. Without being partisan and dogmatic, we facilitate for open engagement of people from all walks of lives. Let it be from the extremist mindsets or the sober armchair critics or even the pragmatic think tank- we give them the chance to express.
Having established a fair minded liberal status, we earned the respect for our stand. Some of our news exposed issues in a timely manner and we did this under extremely difficult circumstances facing intimidation and threats from individuals from Sri Lanka and overseas for exposing the truth.
We have broken the silence on many issues, many times and it has irritated persons in positions. It is the battery of spokespeople – official and unofficial – who is now part in such a violent campaign to silence the SLG.
The recent revelation of facts about Minister Karuna’s involvement in a scandal about abusing a charitable donation and the publication of comments of his wife residing in the UK has brought the SLG into loggerhead with the government and the goons. The government that tolerates the rowdy culture of ministers is permitting Karuna likes to engineer a systematic and violent campaign to threaten the very survival of our media.
The SLG website is systematically debarred for the Sri Lankan viewers for the past five days. It is another process of intimidation and curtailment of media freedom Sri Lanka lacks (or bluntly ‘enjoying’) and confirms the unhindered strength the state backed goons have to dictate the terms for democracy in Sri Lanka.
Our media is independent. It has faced the wrath on several occasions and at times came under sheer pressure from the government investigators but as an independent media we always stood for truth, justice and fairness in our conduct. We did not subscribe to a set agenda to prop up individuals, organisations or even the government. We always upheld the freedom of the press which consists of constitutional or statutory protections pertaining to the media and published materials.
Breaking the silence managed to reach the people. Breaking the silence is to publish issues about Sri Lanka and individuals involved in setting the agenda of running of the state.
The silencing and intimidating campaign is directed at the members of SLG, but its aim is different. Threats, intimidations and possible deaths like the sacrifices of many unjust mortalities of media hero’s are also the SLG’s price tag. We are put under pressure to make it harder for us to break the silence to continue carrying out our moral obligation to talk with the people of Sri Lanka.
‘The Sri Lankan government is shamefully using antiterrorism laws to silence peaceful critics in the media. This is no way for a government that claims to be a rights-respecting democracy to act.’ (Quote HRW). Our current experience is how goons with authority are peddling over the media whilst enjoying the freedom bestowed on them by the government to carry on with their campaign knowing very well the government will not do anything to arrest the campaign of harassment and threats. The anti-terrorism law unfortunately does not apply to these weird goon mindsets.
Truths ultimately come out forcefully in a society like ours, but time is a critical factor.
-Sri Lanka Guardian
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Sri Lanka Guardian threatened by anti democratic forces
By Sri Lanka Guardian • July 30, 2009 • • Comments : 1
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This kind of behaviour of the government in Sri Lanka is as unacceptable as it is downright studip. Stupid, because it strenghens the idea, that the government has something to do with theongoing killing and harrasment of memerbers of the press.
I feel, and many of my collegues do too, the the writers of the Sri Lanka Guardian have done a great deal for the country during the Eelam War. The government was totally incompenten and utterly unable to counter the professionally made up propaganda spread by the LTTE. I feel, the publishers of the Sl-Guardian ought to get medals - just like the military, for acting in the sense of the country and the One Nation idea. Instead, you get cut of.
Seems like The Rajapaksa Bros. will get the same place in history as Churchill once did - when the war was over, the British kicked him out of office. Churchill was a good warlord - but not a good democratic politician.
I beg you to keep up the excellent work! The Sri Lanka Guardian will survive this government, I am very shure about that.
Even though I do not always agree on the optinons some of your staffwriters point out, I find it very important that their voice remains to be heard!
And the government will get what they deserve for this utter stupidity, trust me - and the International Community of democrats and journalists. They will spread the word - that spreading the (truthful) word in Sri Lanka is dangerous duo to an antidemocratic regime that fears nothing more than critisism. History knows no blind spots and has a special place for governments who censure...
A collegue from Germany
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