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 21st June 1998 |
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Lasantha reads a message in the attack on his houseBy Arshad M. HadjirinAs local and international organisations condemned the gun attack on 'Sunday Leader' Editor, Lasantha Wickrematunga's home, Police were without a breakthrough 48 hours after the incident on Friday. Director, Criminal Investigations Department, SSP Bandula Wickramasinghe told The Sunday Times that the CID took over investigations from the Mirihana Police on Friday evening, and that it will take sometime for them to get a breakthrough. The Wednesday night attack on Mr. Wickrematunga's home at Mirihana, which lasted barely a minute with nearly two rounds of ammunition being fired through the gate into the house, left two vehicles badly damaged and windows shattered. Their dog in the kennel had a narrow escape from death. Mr. Wickrematunga who went out for dinner with his wife and children at around 8.00 p. m, returned home at10.50 p.m. "Ten minutes later we heard noises like somebody lighting crackers. But we thought it was very unlikely for someone to light crackers at that time of the night. We came down to find out more," said Mr. Wickrematunga. Gamini Mendis, Mr. Wickrematunga's driver, by that time had escaped death by inches and reported the incident to him. On witnessing the extensive damage done to the vehicles and the bullet ridden walls, Wickrematunga called the police. "The Kirulapone and Mirihana police visited us, about twenty minutes later, and recorded statements from the driver. Also a map of the house, was taken," said Mr. Wickrematunga. However that was all until late Friday afternoon, though two constables were stationed at the house. Mr. Wickrematunga said that it wasn't unusual for him to get threatenging calls, and that most of such calls come during his TV programme telecast on TNL. Following the attack, Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera had refused to talk to Mr. Wickrematunga, but only opted to convey his condemnation to his wife Raine Wickrematunga. Mr. Samaraweera, addressing the weekly cabinet press briefing, condemned this act, saying that the government would not tolerate such dirty acts. He assured that like Mr. Iqbal Athas' case, a full investigation would be carried out, in order to eliminate acts of terror. Many UNP parliamentarians including Opposition Leader Ranil Wikckremesinghe visited Mr. Wickreamatunga's house. It is learnt that most people in the neighbourhood had mistaken the gunshot for fire crackers. Mr. Wickrematunga said that the security personnel of a Kurunegala District UNP MP who lives down his lane had seen a white van speeding off the lane following the noise of gunshots. However they were not able to take down the registration number as the driver had switched off the lights. "Surprisingly two days before the incident, we spotted a white van behind our bedroom window, which took off when we switched on the lights to have a closer look," said Mr. Wickrematunga. A neighbour, Dilan de Silva also confirmed that some people in the neighbourhood had spotted a van similar to these descriptions lurking the backyard of Mr. Wickrematunga's home during the past week. Police personnel who inspected the scene recovered over forty bulllets and indicated that they were fired from a T 56 assault rifle. Mr. Wickrematunga said that this attack followed the many exposures done by him on TNL TV lately on AirLanka, Credit Card, , Bribery Commission issues, etc. "I do not suspect anybody in particular," he said. He added: "I do not hope that much will come out of the investigations. In the previous incident, three years back everything was swept under the carpet," he recalled. Many local and international organisations condemned the incident saying that it was an attack on free media.National Integration Front: "This is another of those terror episodes similar to those witnessed some time ago, where goons paraded in Hi Aces, sans number plates. We denounce this dirty attempt," said its President Nath Amarakoon. United Lalith Front: "Once again, a journalist has been attacked for reasons known only to those who did it. What happened to Mr. Wickrematunga was nothing but an act of terrorism and should be roundly condemned by all right thinking people," said its leader Mrs. Srimani Athulathmudali. Avadhi Lanka, an organisation for the promotion of Public Morality and Civic Accountability: "We are deeply purturbed by the attack by gunmen on the house of 'Sunday Leader' Editor, a newspaper which has persistently exposed the questionable transactions of Ministers, Deputy Ministers and VIPs in authorrity."
Stop this intimidation, says Editors' GuildThe editors of Sri Lanka's national newspapers have in a joint statement expressed "total disgust" over the attack on the residence of the Sunday Leader editor and demanded that immediate action be taken to stop what they see as systematic intimidation of journalists. The Editors' Guild in a statement on the attack on the Nugegoda residence of Leader editor Lasantha Wickrematunga said: "On the night of Wedensday, June 17, around 11 p.m. a group of unidentified persons sprayed around 30 rounds of T-56 bullets into the residence of Mr. Wickrematunga. "We express total disgust at the attempt to intimidate Mr. Wickrematunga in this manner and condemn the perpetrators of this dastardly act, whoever they may be, or however highly placed they are. "The Guild has been repeatedly calling upon the authorities to closely investigate and identify forces responsible in what appears to be systematic intimidation of journalists in Sri Lanka. "It is the obligation of the authorities concerned to ensure that journalists can engage in their legitimate duties without this kind of intimidation and interference. "It will be recalled that Mr. Wickrematunga and his journalist wife Raine were brutally assaulted by thugs near their residence when they were returning from work in February 1995. Three years later those responsible have not yet been apprehended. "The Guild notes with deep concern the lackadaisical approach to investigations of this nature and reiterates its call to the authorities concerned to permit journalists to pursue their professional work without this kind of crude attempts at intimidation and interference."
CPJ condemns attack on EditorThe Committee to Protect Journalists has expressed its concern about the attack on the Sunday Leader Editor, Lasantha Wickrematunga's residence. The CPJ in a letter to the President said: "In a context of escalating violence against the press and with new censorship regulations, this latest attack undermines the ability of Sri Lankan journalists to carry out their work.'' At approximately 10.30 pm, shortly after Wickrematunga and his family returned home from dinner, a Toyota ''Hi-Ace'' van pulled up outside the gates of their residence. A man emerged armed with a T 56 assault rifle and opened fire, emptying a clip of approximately 30 rounds into the house and causing extensive damage, according to witnesses. Fortunately, no one was injured in the attack. The weekly Sunday Leader newspaper has been critical of the ruling People's Alliance government and had recently published articles questioning the integrity of Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera and other officials. ''Someone is sending us a message,'' said Lal Wickrematunga, the managing director of the newspaper and the brother of Lasantha. Samaraweera quickly condemned the attack and the police have stationed armed guards outside the home of Wickrematunga while announcing a full investigation into the incident. This is the second time in recent months that prominent journalists has been attacked in Sri Lanka. In February, armed men invaded the home of Iqbal Athas, the defence correspondent for The Sunday Times newspaper of Colombo. While two Airforce personnel were arrested in that incident, they were quickly released on bail and there has been little progress in punishing those responsible. In addition, on June 5 Your Excellency's government imposed a harsh regime of direct military censorship on all press coverage of the civil war in Sri Lanka. As a non-partisan organization dedicated to the defence of our colleagues worldwide, CPJ is concerned about the deteriorating conditions for the press in Sri Lanka. We denounce the attack on Wickrematunga in the strongest possible terms. We are further concerned, however, that this latest attack is part of a climate of intolerance toward the press aggravated by the censorship regulations. We urge Your Excellency to address this crisis in the press forcefully by guaranteeing that journalists will be protected from attack while also taking steps to lift the censorship regulations currently in effect.
Port workers who strike will get short shriftSri Lanka Ports Authority will dismiss employees if they take part in trade union action. This is a precaution being taken by the authority against possible trade union action to come, SLPA officials disclosed. . "We have decided to take extra precautions against trade union activities which have not only caused financial damages but also been detrimental to the reputation of the SLPA. Interviews have been held over the last few days to recruit more employees for emergency situations when trade unionists decide to disrupt SLPA activities", said Mr. Kattiriarrachchi. Working Director of the SLPA. Among the measures taken is the training of already employed labour staff in crane handling and other functions of the Port. "Then we have no need to accommodate such activities inside the port. We can get rid of them immediately if they are determined to go ahead with union work. We are not taking any more chances", he said. Advertisements over print and electronic media followed immediately after the 850 JCT employees decided not to work in the evenings. The response being good, interviews had been held immediately. A number of recruitments are to be made shortly. Although the main trade unions JSS and the CMU have expressed their support to the JCT employees' actions, SLAP officials feel that it is not going to affect the port in any way in future. Trade unionists stated that this move, if implemented, will be a violation of workers' rights.
"I won," claim Jeyaraj and RaviBy Frederica JanszLalith Front parliamentarian Ravi Karunanayake and Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle are both claiming victory in last Wednesday's three-hour hard-hitting TV debate on AirLanka. Mr. Karunanayake told The Sunday Times that he won hands down. "Going by public opinion, more than 90 per cent of the viewers said the substance I presented on AirLanka's privatisation outweighed what the Minister set out," he said. "However, in the way of mud-slinging and deviating from the subject matter, then yes, Mr. Fernandopulle won," he added. The Minister was unable to prove any allegation against him, Mr. Karunanayake said. Claiming "Jeyaraj was a write-off," he said Mr. Fernandopulle spoke mainly on matters that were irrelevant. Saying he felt Mr. Fernandopulle was not competent to speak on AirLanka, he reiterated that he was willing to debate the matter with Ministers G.L.Peiris and Kingsley Wickremaratne or members of the Public Enterprises Reform Commission. In response, Minister Fernandopulle said it was not for him to say whether he scored over Mr. Karunanayake. "It is for the public to decide. I received 26 phone calls within one and a quarter hours the next day congratulating me," he said. Countering the argument that he had strayed from the subject matter and indulged in mud-slinging, the Minister said he had been challenged to prove allegations regarding Mr. Karunanayake's business interests and that was what he did. Asked whether he would accept a challenge to have another debate, Mr. Fernandopulle said that would be absurd but he was ready to take on Mr. Karunanayake on a public platform.
NJC takes European Union to taskThe National Joint Committee of Sri Lanka in a message addressed to the newly appointed President of the Council of Ministers of the European Economic Community (EEC) has expressed hope that under his aegis an Europe- wide ban on the LTTE would become a reality. NJC Chief Raja Wanasundara in the letter to Prime Minister Tony Blair, appealed for an immediate investigation into the functioning of the LTTE organisation and their fronts sponsors. 'Regrettably evidence available todate proves beyond doubt the terror campaign is sustained worldwide by the LTTE-Diaspora permitted to operate in many of the states of the European Union., the letter said. 'The NJC has cause for concern that whilst in America and Canada, the respective Governments have taken positive procedures to curb the activities of the LTTE front and support organizations the EU appear to be satisfied issuing pious statements from its Council Of Ministers and pass impotent resolutions from the European Parliament about combating international terrorism', the letter said.
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