(FMM/IFEX) – The following is an FMM press release: Discussion with president to kill two editors in order to save the government The Free Media Movement, which has held the government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga responsible for the murder, assault and intimidation of journalists in the past seven years, has been vindicated by a statement […]
(FMM/IFEX) – The following is an FMM press release:
Discussion with president to kill two editors in order to save the government
The Free Media Movement, which has held the government of President Chandrika Kumaratunga responsible for the murder, assault and intimidation of journalists in the past seven years, has been vindicated by a statement made by President Kumaratunga in which she outlined how a former minister had proposed to her the murder of two newspaper editors.
In its November 5, 2001 lead story, the state-owned Daily News newspaper explained that, at a public rally, the president stated that former minister and party general secretary S. B. Dissanayake had proposed to her, ” Madam, the government is very weak and it could collapse at any time. If necessary I will even kill an editor or two who are critical of the government.” The president went on to say that she told the minister that the government was not weak.
Mr. S. B. Dissanayake claims that it was the president who sent an underworld killer to him with the suggestion. He also claims that there were four others persons present when this conversation took place.
The FMM in not interested in investigating who first came up with the idea for this despicable act. What is clear is that plans for political murders were discussed without any inhibition at the highest level of government.
This also explains why no proper investigations have been carried out into the murder of two journalists, the attempted murder of a number of editors and the numerous assaults on journalists in the past seven years. One cannot expect the highly politicised police to carry out investigations and arrest the culprits when these acts are sanctioned at the highest level of government.
The FMM openly accused the personnel of the Presidential Security Division of being responsible for the murder of the editor of “Satana” newspaper, Rohana Kumara, on September 9, 1999. The Sri Lankan media in fact published detailed information, including names of persons who were involved in the murder.
The FMM also accused the Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) of being responsible for the murder of Jaffna-based journalist Mailwaganam Nimalarajan. One year later, no arrests have been made in this murder either. The fact that the leader of the EPDP is a minister in President Kumaratunga’s government becomes extremely relevant after yesterday’s statement by the president.
Soon after the 1999 presidential election, the FMM exposed a plan by the government to arrest two newspaper editors and some members of the FMM on trumped up charges of planning to overthrow the government.
In July 1999, dozens of journalists covering an opposition demonstration were assaulted and their equipment was destroyed or stolen. In this incident too, the media provided the names of the members of the Presidential Security Division who carried out this act, as well as photographs of them assaulting journalists. No action was taken by the government
All these incidents can now been seen in a new light. It is obvious why the police was not allowed to carry out impartial investigations into these incidents.
If the president is to clear her name of involvement in these incidents, an immediate impartial investigation must be carried out and those responsible arrested.
Sunanda Deshapriya
Convenor, FMM
Waruna Karunatilak
Secretary, FMM
