Pressure Mounts On Govt. To Ensure Prompt Investigation Into Killing Of Journalists
On the first anniversary of the assassination of prominent Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge, the International Bar Association’s Human Rights Institute (IBAHRI) has written to the Sri Lankan Government urging a prompt and effective investigation into his case together with those of the murders of other journalists over the past three years.
On January 8, 2009 Lasantha Wickrematunge, founder editor-in-chief of The Sunday Leader newspaper was assassinated by gunmen while driving to work. Mr. Wickrematunge had been a vocal critic of the government, especially with regard to the erosion of civil liberties in its campaign against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). A few days prior to his death, he had written an ‘obituary’ for himself entitled ‘And Then They Came For Me’ which was published posthumously and stated ‘when finally I am killed, it will be the government that kills me…. today it is the journalists, tomorrow it will be the judges’. One year later, the perpetrators have not yet been identified.
An IBAHRI delegation visited Sri Lanka in March 2009 and its subsequent report entitled Justice In Retreat: A Report On The Independence Of The Legal Profession And The Rule Of Law In Sri Lanka, found that the situation with respect to freedom of expression has deteriorated significantly over the past decade. In particular, of the 16 other murders of journalists over the past three years – almost all of whom were reporting on the conflict – it noted that not a single prosecution has been forthcoming. The report recommends that ‘independent, thorough and timely investigations, with a view to securing appropriate criminal charges, should be carried out in relation to each and every attack on journalists. There should be proper coordination between the law enforcement agencies on the current investigations into the assassinations of journalists with a view to ensuring prompt and effective prosecutions’.
‘The brazen nature of some of these attacks, the lack of accountability and the consequential sense of impunity regarding these incidents has created a climate of fear amongst journalists,’ said Alex Wilks, IBAHRI Programme Lawyer. ‘The delegation was concerned that this has led in many cases to self-censorship and has had the effect of stifling free and open debate on issues relating to the conflict.’
‘In order to build a lasting, sustainable peace, it is essential that the public have confidence in the rule of law and the fair administration of justice,’ said Juan Mendez, Co-Chair of the IBAHRI. ‘Now Sri Lanka is in a post-conflict situation, the Government can send out a clear message that it is committed to upholding freedom of expression, combating impunity and ensuring accountability for human rights violations by conducting prompt and effective investigations into these incidents.’
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CID must question Fonseka for Lasanatha’s killings.
ඇත්තටම සරත් ෆොන්සේකා උත්තමයා නිසා තමයි
2005 දී මහින්ද ජනාධිපති උනේ, ගෝඨාභය ආරක්ෂක ලේකම් උනේ, කරන්නාගොඩ, ගුණතිලක පත් උනේ. සියලු හමුදාවල් ඇති උනේ, එතුමාට ඕන නම් විනාඩි 5 න් රට අල්ලන්න තිබුන, එක එකාගෙ බලු කතාවල් අහන්නෙ නැතුව.
එතුමා යුද්දෙ තනිවම කලා. මේ ආණ්ඩුවෙ එකෙක් උදච්වට ආවද? අපේ රනිල් නායකතුමයි රවී, ලක්ෂමන්, ජයලත් ජයවර්ධන මහත්තුරුයි තමා පස්සෙන් හිටියෙ. ඉතිං එතුමා ඉල්ලනව නම් දළදා මාලිගාව දුන්නත් මොකද?
Online opinion poll
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The climate of fear is noyt only among the journalists. It is also among every citizen of SriLanka. Talk against this MR and his government and you dont know what hit you.Yesterdays heroes suddenly become traitors today. This country is turned to a place run by a Mafia family. If Gota to talk against MR he will be a traitor overnight. Paradise Lanka has been paralized.
Jayaweva SF!!Jayaweva SF!!Jayaweva SF!!Jayaweva SF!!Jayaweva SF!!Jayaweva SF!!Jayaweva SF!!Jayaweva SF!!Jayaweva SF!!Jayaweva SF!!Jayaweva SF!!Jayaweva SF!!Jayaweva SF!!Jayaweva SF!!
Jayawewa MR !!Jayawewa MR ! Jayawewa MR !
Jayawewa MR !!Jayawewa MR ! Jayawewa MR !
Jayawewa MR !!Jayawewa MR ! Jayawewa MR !
Jayawewa MR !!Jayawewa MR ! Jayawewa MR !
Let’s ask him about Mihin Lanka too. Fonseka was managing the war. He was not procuring arms or dealing with public relations like Gota was doing.
He must have had more enemies than he had hair on his head! Mumza and Fredrica are not far behind I suppose.
I was told by someone that Dicky ordered the killing of his brother because he wanted to keep the whole of the company. Is that a good story? Do you want to know who the someone is? No I do’nt divulge my sources but it is not Gamini Senadeera. Now if the Sarath Fonseka story is plausible so is mine. Think about it.
When a men speaks the truth and it is not like, he is often killed.
This must stop.
CID must question Rajapaksas for Sarath Fonseka’s Assasination Attempt.
The investigations were hampered by the then Chief Justice Sarath Silva who is now sharing the platform with Sarath Fonseka. I recall the only suspects were two army personnels from a nearby unit in which Gen. Sarath Fonseka was involved. Now that both these corrupt individuals are gone, the investigations should pick up pace and I have no doubt it would be resolved soon.
Why it is that everyone thinks the journalists are killed by Singhalese? Now LTTE is not there anymore. No more killings. Does it say something? They are the “sole representatives” of the devil (Demala).
Eelam=Singheelam+Tamileelam
AFTER the arrival of the Mongolian Monks with Singh(Lion) Flag to convert our Eelam people into Buddhism, our CONVERTED Buddhist Eelam People are called Singhela People.
RUBBISH
New Lanka is our New Nation.
singheelam? What’s that?
Singh+Eelam=Singh+Hela(Paali)=Singhela=Singhala=Sin(g)hela=Sin(g)hala(English)
While there is talk about journalists getting killed there is at least one instance where a journalist had attempted to kill a man (politically). The man is none other than the presidential candidate Sarath Fonseka and the killer is a journalist attached to Sunday Lankadeepa named Dayaseeli. At the inquiry the reporter has admitted to the offense and has resigned. It is also reported that this was a case of contract killing and the sum offered was Rs 20 lakhs.
Mrs Sonali L got the Golden oppotunity to Revenge by bringing The Truthful Sarath Fonseka to Power. Mrs Gotabaya is already in overseas with big stolen money. There are no God in Evil Buddhism.