A Change In Govt. Media Policy?
By A.B Ratnayake
‘White vans don’t exist’ and ‘won’t be subdued by a white skin,’ Wenger was told
The ongoing issue of press freedom continues or is the recent incident involving Swiss journalist Karin Wenger a sign that the newly re-elected government may change its tune?
I spoke to Karin Wenger over the phone on the very day she had the cancelling of her media accreditation and visa revoked. She was in good spirits, surprised in fact upon hearing the news that President Mahinda Rajapaksa himself had ordered that she was now allowed to stay in the country and report freely until February 17, which was the original expiry date of her journalist visa.
Reporting for Swiss public radio station DRS, the South Asian correspondent based in New Delhi was the only foreign member of the press present at the press briefing at the time of asking the two questions which would eventually lead to her being asked to leave the country.
“I asked two questions,” Wenger says. “Why were there so many troops in front of opposition candidate Fonseka’s hotel? And the second referred to rumours we kept hearing: Was it true that the President’s brother Basil Rajapaksa was inside the Election Commissioner’s office?” To which a government official sharp wittedly informed her that ‘Basil was sleeping and that she could meet him later if she wished,’ an opportunity she wished to take up but fell on deaf ears in the end.
At the conclusion of this press briefing she was taken aside and told in no uncertain terms that she could not ask such questions. She was also quite oddly informed that there is no issue of press freedom and the dreaded ‘white vans’ do not exist. She was then taken aback when warned by the government official, “I won’t be subdued by a white skin! Keep this in mind!”
The two paragraph letter viewed by myself dated February 28, and signed by Director General, Information Department, Anusha Palpita, stated that Wenger’s “reports pertaining to Sri Lanka are inaccurate, misleading, mischievous and moreover of defamatory contents tarnishing the image of the country.”
It followed on by informing Wenger that her “media accreditation was to be withdrawn”. In the early hours of January 31 she was informed to get in touch with the Department of Information via text message urgently. It was upon getting in touch with Presidential Spokesman Lucien Rajakarunanayake that she had been informed that a “serious mistake” had been made and that President Rajapaksa himself had given the order allowing her to stay and operate freely until her original visa expiry date.
Wenger had sought assistance from the Swiss Embassy, to no avail. Reporters Without Borders issued a statement but ultimately the foreign media took hold of the story and ran with it. With a newly re-elected government the last thing the government needed was further attack by the foreign press.
With very little evidence to suggest Karin had as quoted made statements which were “inaccurate, misleading, and mischievous” the government had to step back and admit this “mistake.” Even if the question of Basil’s whereabouts may have suggested foul play, it was purely a rumour which needed to be addressed. The ensuing events were totally unnecessary and did the government no favours vis-a-vis press freedom and harnessing positive relations with both independent local and foreign media.
However there is solace in the fact the government had openly admitted a ‘mistake had been made’ and the President himself had taken steps to make sure the issue was promptly sorted. If this is a sign (a small one at that) that the President is taking steps to create an open environment where the press can operate freely, then we welcome that. If, however, this decision was made for the sake of preventing a public relations disaster then we are back where we started and independent and foreign media reporting will continue to be precarious.
Related posts:
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- The President And Media Freedom I read in the press with amazement about the President’s orders to the chairman of Teleshan Network to immediately stop the telecast of an interview...
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