(FMM/IFEX) – The following is an FMM press release: Civil unrest threatens journalists’ freedom to report FMM notes with concern that journalists in Sri Lanka increasingly face direct and indirect threats while reporting on civil unrest, clashes and political violence in recent times. Last week, two such incidents were reported from Kurunegala and Trincomalee districts. […]
(FMM/IFEX) – The following is an FMM press release:
Civil unrest threatens journalists’ freedom to report
FMM notes with concern that journalists in Sri Lanka increasingly face direct and indirect threats while reporting on civil unrest, clashes and political violence in recent times.
Last week, two such incidents were reported from Kurunegala and Trincomalee districts.
On 23 June 2002, Mr. Sarath Yatawara, Kurunagala provincial correspondent of the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (state owned TV station), was threatened by the Wariyapola Police Station Officer-in-Charge (OIC) while he was covering a road accident in which two children were killed. As recorded by Yatawara on video, OIC Kusum Siyabalapitiya used abusive language and threatened to arrest the journalist if he did not stop recording the incident. FMM hopes that the inquiry initiated by the district police authorities will result in the steps needed to correct the wrongdoing of their officer and to secure the right of journalists to report in the future.
On 26 June 2002, the house of Mr. P. Sathsivanamdam, Muttur provincial reporter for the Tamil daily Weerakesaree and correspondent for the BBC Tamil service, was attacked by an unidentified group of individuals, amidst Tamil-Muslim clashes in the area. He had filed a report to the BBC’s Tamil services on the day’s developments in the area. A number of houses in the area were attacked and hundreds of people have become refugees. FMM calls on political authorities and groups active in the region to ensure that P. Sathsivanamdam is able to perform his duties as a journalist without any hindrance or intimidation.
In the recent past, a number of other journalists have been intimidated by opposing political parties and groups at times of political violence, especially related to elections and ethnic interests. FMM is disturbed at this continuing trend of violence against journalists at a time when independent reporting is of pivotal importance in Sri Lanka.
FMM urges all Sri Lankan journalists to be vigilant and not be intimidated and compromised by threats, whatever their source. The intrinsic and inalienable right of every journalist to report freely and fairly cannot be allowed to wither in the face of suppression and intimidation.
Sunanda Deshapriya
Convener,
Free Media Movement
