Sri Lanka, Tamil : Journalists call for media freedom - President Mahinda not ready to listen
TamilBrisbane
Mahinda not ready to listen
http://www.tamilbrisbane.com/content/view/372/1/
The journalists in Sri Lanka staged a demonstration in front of the
Fort Railway Station, Colombo around 12:30 p.m. Tuesday, condemning the
intimidation of media persons and media institution and stressing the
freedom of expression. Hundreds of journalists and media workers from
Free Media Movement (FMM), Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association,
Journalist Workers Trade Federation, Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance
(SLTMA) and Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum participated in this
demonstration. The mother of recently killed Sinhala journalist, Lakmal
Sampath, was also participated in the protest..
The participants shouted the following slogans and carried placards
too.
Eight journalists killed so far. What is the solution? What happened to
the assurances given?
Let newspapers go to Jaffna!
Arrest Mervin's hirelings!
Where are the killers of Lakmal?
Release Parameswary immediately!
Do not intimidate journalists!
Let Jaffna newspapers survive!
Stop the unwanted arrests by Police!
Do not punish journalists!
Journalists were attacked in front of a minister with the
presence of Police. Where can we complain?
President, why a blind eye towards journalists?
The mother of Lakmal Sampath carried a placard with the slogan of
'Find out the killer of my son Lakmal!' and requested the Police
officers present to find out the killers of her son. She also urged the
Police not to harm the journalists as they, she said, are like her
children.
At the end of the one-hour long demonstration representatives of media
organizations delivered spoke to the those assembled.
Sunantha Deshappriya, the coordinator of FMM said: "There is
continued erosion of media freedom in Sri Lanka. Newspapers are banned
in some parts of the country. Journalists, who expose truth, are being
either intimidated or kidnapped. Media in Sri Lanka face a harsh future
as it attempts to provide the correct and true information to the
public in a hostile environment. We see this as a failure of democracy.
The international community should try to understand this and pay
attention to the problems faced by the Sri Lankan journalists."
S. Nixon, the representative of SLTMA, urged authorities to respect the
journalists and media institutions, and told that they would be
compelled conduct widespread agitation if the intimidation continues.
A large number of Police officers were present at the site of
demonstration to provide security.
Meanwhile, a group of persons had gathered under Deputy Minister Mervin
Silva, held a meeting in the same place 30 minutes before the
demonstration, to thank the Armed Forces for their victories in North
East and to encourage them.
Two busloads of people were brought to the scene and they shouted
slogans supporting the Armed Forces.
Even though, the organizers of the demonstration had feared that their
event might be disturbed by the mobs, the demonstration ended
peacefully. Recently a public rally organized by the United People's
Movement (UPM) in Nugegoda hundreds of unruly elements under the
direction of Deputy Minister Mervin Silva attacked the members of the
Front and journalists.