The Fear Psychosis

On August 31, 1997 when Britain's Princess Diana was killed with Egyptian Jodi Al Fayed while travelling in a speeding car in Paris, the grief-stricken father of Jodi lost no time in accusing the British Secret Services of conspiring to kill his son.

He had neither proofof the allegations he made nor was there any positive evidence revealed later to substantiate his claims. Yet, Al Fayed, the owner of Harrods, one of the biggest and best known shops in the world and London, who was not a British citizen was not threatened with death, expulsion, had no threats of charges framed against him or accused by the public of treason, even though some of his statements insinuated that the conspiracy had its origins in the Royal Family! After two years of investigations, an inquest was held at great cost to the British government and the conspiracy theory was rejected.

This case, we cited, to demonstrate the respect for law and order and the rights of individuals in Britain even though there have been a few blemishes in its fight against terrorism.

The case is quite in contrast to the attitude today of the Rajapakse government governing the Democratic Socialist Republic of Sri Lanka. Anyone who is not in agreement with government policy, particularly on its policies in fighting terrorism is lambasted and pilloried in state media and other pro-government private media as traitors, LTTE agents, anti-Sinhalese racists and the like.

This happened to MTV and Leader Publications even prior to the attack on MTV and the killing of Lasantha Wickrematunge. The 'Cardinal Sin' they had committed had been in not giving sufficient publicity which certain  political  panjandrums had deemed as compulsory, to the military victories. Prior to the attacks, MTV and Wickrematunge were vilified in the state and some pro-government media for this 'Cardinal Sin.' This may be the journalistic culture practised in some totalitarian countries with whom the Rajapakse government has been developing close ties in recent times but in democratic countries, independent media is free to report and make comments on events of their own free will.

It maybe an off-shoot of the Mahinda Chinthanaya that independent media is not independent enough to report events in accordance to professional standards. A good example of it is the storming of the studios of the state-owned TV Rupavahini by a minister accompanied by thugs and assaulting a news director for not broadcasting a speech he made the previous day. Irate Rupavahini employees displayed the rowdy scenes on national TV for hours but police investigators, apparently, are still struggling to find witnesses! The attack on MTV and then the killing of Wickrematunge and Friday's attack on Rivira Editor Upali Tennakoon may be a part of the extension of the evolutionary culture of the media!

The worst effect of these blatantly criminal acts is the fear psychosis that is gripping the privately owned media. Earlier the Deputy Editor of The Nation Keith Noyahr was abducted in a van, bashed brutally and dropped off hours later. The badly shaken Noyahr made no public statement of the incident and quickly left the country unannounced. After the MTV attack and the murder of Lasantha, many journalists holding key positions in independent media institutions have left the country. There may be many more living in fear of death but do not have the resources to flee abroad. This is the pathetic state of the media in Sri Lanka. Not only journalists but others such as lawyers have come under threat and one lawyer had a grenade flung at their home. A fear psychosis appears to be enveloping the country as it did during the JVP insurrection of '88-'89 when many media personnel including Richard De Zoysa were abducted and killed.

Answering questions in Parliament, Chief Government Whip Dinesh Gunawardena said that between January 1, 2006 and January 22, 2009, nine journalists have been killed. Five journalists have been abducted and four of them found. Twenty seven journalists had been beaten up, the Minister admitted. The answers provided to a question by UNP MP Ravi Karunanayake do not indicate the dangerous environment that Sri Lankan journalists are operating in. Sri Lanka's status  has been rising in the ranks of the 'Most Dangerous Place for Journalists' in international surveys such as that of RSF (Reporters Sans Frontiers).

Is the government concerned? Why were these journalists killed or tortured?

Two weeks ago President Mahinda Rajapakse addressing the heads of media institutions assured them that journalists had nothing to fear from the government. Can journalists be comforted by this assurance when a leading journalist and 'friend' of the President himself, Editor of The Sunday Leader Lasantha Wickrematunge had been killed in broad day light on a public highway, a little distance from the newspaper office, situated very close to the Ratmalana Airport Security Zone and for 17 days the culprits have not been traced? The fact that three top journalists have fled the country in the past few days for the fear of attacks is by no means reassuring to those remaining and working for their living.

President Rajapakse's assurance is about no threat emanating from the government. But what of threats that could emanate from  'non state actors' - to use a newly coined term for pro-government activists - or simple common or garden criminals who can be hired to commit murder and mayhem for a few thousand rupees?  When a bullet, grenade or bomb hits a journalist, he is killed or severely wounded - irrespective of the classification of the organisations responsible for such criminal acts. The whole country is well aware that the para military forces of breakaway LTTE factions - ex-terrorist gangs now carrying various political flags, are still armed. They have been carrying out abductions in Colombo, demanding ransoms and getting away. Some of those abducted have been killed. Well-respected people like the former Vice Chancellor of the Batticaloa University disappeared into thin air.

Qualified assurances by President Rajapakse on the safety of journalists are obviously not enough. The killers have to be apprehended and charged before courts. It goes without saying that as President and Commander in Chief of the police and armed services, he is responsible for the safety of all citizens. He has to issue special orders to protect journalists at this time of crisis.

Leader Publications made special requests for protection to the police chief after thugs set fire to their press. Letters have been written but the police chief is yet to responded.

It would be ostrich-like to deny that journalists and a  vast section of the people believe that the government was behind the killing of Wickrematunge. To the query made so often these days in public the answer given is a Chinese proverb: When the finger points at the Moon the idiot looks at the finger.

The vast, spontaneous crowd that turned up for the funeral, the anger and fury expressed against the Rajapakse government, and his effigy being set on fire could be indications of the thinking of the people. No doubt UNP participation and the number of UNPers who made funeral orations led to criticism that the UNP exploited the killing. But there were speakers strongly opposed to the UNP such as Marxist Wickremabahu Karunaratne and representatives of minority parties and NGOs as well. They certainly were not swayed by the UNP.

What is the crime committed by Lasantha to be 'executed' in this manner? He exercised the fundamental right of the freedom of expression. He did not hide his views but printed them in black and white in bold headlines. He pleaded for the rights of Tamils and religious minorities which he was entitled to do. Did he not have a right to criticise and object to the direction the country was being taken?

Mahinda Rajapakse, his brothers and cronies will be awaiting the results of the North Western and Central Provincial Council elections which they hope to triumph on the 'war cry.' But the world too is watching and this is evidenced by attention paid to Lasantha's last editorial which was published in many leading newspapers of the world such as The Times, The Telegraph, The Guardian, New Yorker, Washington Post, New York Times and The Economist. The Economist suspects that the fundamental freedoms of the people of Sri Lanka may be buried under the avalanche of the military triumph. A letter sent to President Mahinda Rajapakse last week signed by six former American Ambassadors to Sri Lanka drawing attention to the killing of Lasantha Wickrematunge is an indication of the concern of reputed Americans and that the foul deed cannot be wiped under the carpet.

Barack Obama in his historic inauguration speech on Tuesday perhaps had a ringing message to leaders of our part of the world. His message was: 'To those leaders around the globe who seek to sow conflict or blame their society's ills on the West - know that your people will judge you on what you can build, not what you destroy. To those who cling to power through corruption and deceit and the silencing of dissent (the emphasis is ours) know that you are on the wrong side of history; but that we will extend a hand if you are willing to unclench your fist.'