( February 26, 2013, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Sarath Fonseka, the war-winning former Army Chief and the defeated presidential candidate has a proclivity to shoot from the hip. That has been self injurious to him, most times. Once, it landed him in the jail, though we have grave reservations over the delivery of justice on that particular case, and later it cost him the erstwhile members in his political coalition.
On Sunday, he went on Sirasa TV accusing the newspapers in this country of kowtowing to the government. Only exceptions, he said, being a newspaper owned by the JVP – which itself is the propaganda organ of the JVP – and one other.
Fonseka may partly be true in his remarks for the fact is, there is a certain degree of subordination towards the government in some newspapers, which were until recently considered to be outspoken and independent. However, there are other newspapers, including this one, which have taken a principled editorial position against the erosion of democratic traditions, civil liberties and fundamental rights in the country. Our readers, we believe, are discerning enough to make an objective assessment of our editorial policies.
This editorial, however, is about editorial independence or lack of it, rather, it is to highlight the acute adversities that the Sri Lankan newspaper journalism has to overcome, in order to be independent or even to be progressively anti-government.
Fonseka himself should be privy to the perils that entailed being an independent journalist. For a quick brainstorming, we would like to recall a couple of names, among several dozens of journalists, who learnt it the hard way how nasty the current regime and State apparatus could turn out to be towards dissenting voices. Some others such as Nimalarajan, Sivaram and Sampath Lakmal and others did not survive their ordeal. They were killed by their abductors.
However, one familiar name for the former Army Chief would be Keith Noyahr, the former Deputy Editor of the Nation, who was abducted and tortured after he allegedly authored an article that certain parties found offensive. Noyar fled to exile, soon after he was discharged from the hospital. Some other critics, such as Poddala Jayantha was abducted and tortured and Lasantha Wickrematunge was killed in broad daylight, both during Fonseka's reign as the Commander of the Army.
The attacks against the practitioners of the fourth state in the country dates back to the 80s or even further. Both Sivaram and Nimalarajan were killed before Fonseka became the Commander of the Army. However, attacks were less frequent then. But during the past eight years or so, a culture of violence against the media was entrenched as part of unofficial counter terrorism strategy, obviously with the active complicity of Fonseka and his political superiors. Had he wanted, Fonseka, who was all powerful during his heyday, could have acted decisively and put an end to that trend.
Fonseka retired prematurely after he was denied powers, that he demanded, be vested with the newly created post for him as the Chief of Defence Staff. Within months, he took an about turn and became a saviour of the media.
However, the climate of fear and violence did not evaporate. It has now taken a life of its own, of course at the behest of the powers that be in the current regime. In a sad coincidence, it was Pragreeth Ekneligoda, an independent cartoonist, who had then put his weight behind Fonseka's presidential bid, who became the next victim. Ekneligoda disappeared on the eve of the presidential elections in January 2010.
Journalists in this country live in a climate of fear. Media organizations are coerced, both covertly and overtly, to follow the government's line. Insubordination to government dictate has its own repercussions. Reports that depict certain individuals in the government in a negative light could well be responded with a white van that arrives at the residence of the reporter in the night.
The Right to Information Bill that was tabled in Parliament by an opposition member was defeated by the government, perhaps for the first time in the history of an electoral democracy. Dozens of previous attacks and murders of media personnel have not been properly investigated. Dissenting voices and media personnel are branded as 'traitors.'
The media in this country functions against these adversities. However, perhaps one of the greatest misfortunes in our profession is that we, the journalists, let conmen steal the limelight, with no questions asked in this important discourse of media freedom that decides our life and death. We let those conmen take swipes at us, question our integrity and the integrity of our colleagues, the latter, unfortunately being the victims of those very men who are now posing as paragons of virtues. Sunday's verbose by Fonseka on Sirasa TV was one such incident.
-Ceylon Today Editorial
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