Freeing Asia via Iranawila

Controversial US political propaganda broadcast beaming from Lanka

By Udena R.Attygalle

Radio Free Asia, an American propaganda channel which started rebroadcasting via the Iranawila VOA facility recently, may cause a major international headache for Sri Lanka.

The broadcasts started on January 24 as stated in the web page hosted by Dr Kim Andrew Elliot presenter of the VOA programme "Communications World". The broadcasts, mostly political programmes, are aimed at Laos and Cambodia.

Regular short wave listeners say the RFA transmissions carry programmes that have an anti-establishment tone. They say target countries are usually hostile to US interests and believe that these transmissions could be extended to the Chinese languages aiming at mainland China. It is generally believed that China jams RFA broadcasts as Beijing contends that its programmes are meddling in China's internal affairs.

Even during U.S president Bill Clinton's visit to China in December 1999, RFA caused a stir with the Chinese government revoking the visas of three journalists employed by RFA.

The move to traced begin the RFA can be taced to a US congressional proposal following the crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators at the Tiananmen Square in June 1989. This prompted many to believe that this broadcast is mainly propaganda work.

Can Sri Lanka allow a base on its territory to transmit propaganda programmes which the receiving countries consider to be an intervention in internal affairs?

The 1983 exchange of notes on the VOA agreement says:

"In terms of clause 5 of the exchange of notes the US government undertakes, out of respect for the concerns expressed by the Government of Sri Lanka, to use its best endeavours not to broadcast any programme detrimental to the national interests of Sri Lanka.

"National interest would include Sri Lanka's foreign relations interest and would safeguard Sri Lanka's independent foreign policy. This ensures that Sri Lanka's friendly relations with other countries are not compromised."

If RFA broadcasts are propaganda programmes, to what extent is Sri Lanka compromising its relations with countries targeted by the broadcasts?

When The Sunday Times contacted Information Director Ariya Rubesinghe, he said he know nothing about the transmission of Radio Free Asia from Sri Lanka.

According to broadcast experts, the Philippines and Thailand have not allowed RFA programmes to be transmitted via the VOA relay facilities in those countries.

They ask why Lao and Khmer — languages of Laos and Cambodia — are being transmitted from Sri Lanka when Thailand and Philippines are geographically better placed to serve the target area.

The transmissions from Iranawila to Laos are from midnight to 1 GMT on 11830 kHz and 11 to 12 GMT on 15555 kHz. RFA Khmer is at 22.30 hours to 23.30 hours on 7185 kHz and 12.00 to 13 hours on 13725 kHz. VOA News vacates 21550 kHz at 12 to 13 hours GMT to make room for the new Khmer transmission.

Radio Free Asia (RFA) broadcasts news and information in nine languages to listeners in Asia. RFA broadcasts daily to China, Tibet, Burma, Vietnam, North Korea, Laos and Cambodia in Mandarin, Cantonese Uyghur, Tibetan, Burmese, Vietnamese, Korean, Lao and Khmer.

Meanwhile a US embassy spokesman said there was no secrecy in launching the RFA from Sri Lanka. "Everything is done in accordance with the agreement with the Sri Lankan government," he said adding that that as far as they knew the agreement was for U.S broadcasting in general and not V.O.A broadcasts specifically.

The U.S. Congress authorized the launch of RFA through the International Broadcasting Act (public law 103-236 ) of 1994 consolidating all non-military, US Government international broadcast services under a Broadcasting Board of Governors (BBG) and also created the International Broadcasting Bureau (IBB). The board approved by the president with the advice and the consent of the US senate serves as RFA's corporate board. It provides yearly funding grants specifically approved by congress to maintain Radio Free Europe (RFE), Radio Liberty (RL) and Radio Free Asia. The International Broadcasting Bureau also functions as the parent entity of the VOA.

Although not a U.S government agency, RFA officially promotes the U.S foreign policy goal. Infact RFA is one of the few organizations that is private but gets funding from the US government.

While the VOA broadcasts focus mainly on world news RFA broadcasts focus largely on news current affairs that pertain directly to the target countries, with very little world news.

Mark Hopkins, a former VOA bureau chief in Belgrade, Moscow and London in the Colombia Journalism Review July/August 1999 says "Present day U.S. broadcasting directors with encouragement from congress go beyond the charter. They believe they have missions to influence the way foreigners think live and are governed". In the same article Brooking Institution Asian scholar Catharin Dalpino is quoted as saying "I do think RFA is propagandistic. It focuses on dissidents who articulate western values and democracy".

No comments, say public officials

By Laila Nasry and Tania Fernando

The government decision last week to restrict public servants from speaking to the media has come under severe criticism from media groups, legal experts, political analysts among others.

While many independent analysts said they saw the move as a step backwards in an era of information technology, others questioned the prudence of it.

Worst affected are the independent media personnel whose attempts to get the other side of a story from senior government officials are thwarted by replies that under the Establishment Code they are not allowed to speak to the media. Our experience shows that many public officials are misinterpreting the relevant sections of the code. Even heads of department are not willing to talk to the media though they are allowed to provide information.

When a colleague who attended a news conference conducted by a senior Health Department official phoned him later to get more details of an epidemic, the official declined to comment citing the establishment code. Such is the fear, it appears, the government announcement had instilled into public officials.

Announcing the government decision, an Information Department statement warned: "Cabinet also decided to take stern disciplinary action against government officers who violate provisions of the Establishment Code and set up a special monitoring unit at the Department of Information, under the direct supervision of the Director of Information to bring such violations to the notice of Secretaries of Ministries, or heads of departments concerned in order to take suitable disciplinary action against such errant and indisciplined officers."

Probably it is because of this warning, public servants are behaving like as if a sense of fear has suddenly gripped them, one analsyt said. The Sunday Times spoke to a cross section of the people ranging from lawyers to laymen to find out their views on the government's move which many saw as a restriction on the freedom of Speech and Expression and the right to information — a right many that has been upheld in many Supreme Court rulings.

Political scientist Jayadeva Uyangoda said the Establishment Code was an archaic and out-dated piece of legislation that has no place in an age where the public servant should enjoy the freedom of expression. "It is sad that the Government is resorting to such strong measures," he said.

Tyronne Fernando, the UNP's media and information watcher, said government move suggested that it was trying to hide something.

"The world trend is that all countries are focusing on citizens right to information. In Sri Lanka the public servants are being gagged. Public servants are not the private slaves of the ministers. They are serving the public and they have a right by the public.

They should only be subject to the Official Secrets Act," he said.

Senior law lecturer Rohan Edrisinha said transparency, accountability and openness was paramount for a democracy. "The government was talking of introducing a Freedom of Information Act and then goes and gags the public servants violating the freedom of speech and expression.

Lawyer Chithral Amaratunge said the government should have been more specific in restricting pbulic servants from disseminating information. "They should be stopped only from commenting on a subject that comes under their purview. But they should be allowed to state facts."

Housewife N. Ranaweera was cynical when she said: ""It makes no difference to us, because even if the papers do highlight the shortcomings, no action is taken about issues."

Free Media Movement secretary Sunanda Deshapriya said the government move has put the country on reverse gear.

"This is a blanket censorship. This censorship will affect, espcially officials of the North and East. They will be barred from spotlighting shortcomings in the adminsitration there. Even school authorities won't be able to say they don't have any facilities," he said.

TNL Chairman Shan Wickremesinghe said the clampdown suggests there was an attempt to cover up corruption in government. He said the move was a futile exercise because it was the very government officials who leaked out information to the media. However, he said the world would look at the move as a repressive one.

Retired Supreme Court Judge K. M. M. B. Kulatunga called for the de politicising of the public service instead of making the Establishment Code more stringent, even though it meant well. "It would be a futile exercise as the restrictions apply only to top officials and not to all public servants," he said.

Clauses that raise queries

We publish below some sections of the Establishment Code which raises several queries.

6.1: A Secretary or head of department may use his discretion in supplying to the press or the public, information regarding Government and Departmental activities which may be of interest and value to the public. 6:1:1 Such information should normally be channelled to the press through the Director of Information. They may, however, issue such information direct if they consider that the circumstances make it necessary to do so.

6:1.2 The information should in all cases be confined to facts, statistics, etc. And no account should any expression of opinion be preferred.

6:1.3 No information even confined to statements of facts should be given where its publication may embarrass the Government as a whole or any Government Department officer. In cases of doubt, the Minister concerned should be consulted.

6:1.4 The press should not be used as a medium of criticism of the Government of other Government Departments or to ventilate departmental grievances (vide section 3:2) of Chapter XXXV of the code.)

Dissidents' case comes before UNP bodies

By Shelani de Silva

The UNP Working Committee and its Parliametary Group will tomorrow decide on the fate of five dissident MPs who are now supporting the Government.

"The Supreme Court ruling will be forwarded to the highest bodies of the party before any action is taken," UNP Chairman, Karu Jayasuriya, told The Sunday Times yesterday.

He said there would be no restrictions on any member taking part in tomorrow's meetings. "We will neither invite nor stop anyone who is entitled to take part. It is upto them. We are of course in touch with our lawyers for any legal advice," he said.

He dismissed as nonsense an offer by one of the dissident MPs, Wijepala Mendis, to be a candidate for the leadership of the UNP. Mr. Mendis made the offer in a letter to Mr Jayasurya, party secretary Gamini Athukorale and Treasurer Milroy Perera.

The letter said the decision by the Supreme Court last Thursday (declaring as invalid the expulsion of the five dissidents) "comes on the heels of the defeat of Ranil Wickremesinghe by over 700,000 votes at the recently concluded Presidential Elections. This was the eleventh successive defeat that the UNP faced under the leadership of Mr. Wickremesinghe."

Commenting on the letter, Mr Jayasuriya said Mr Wickremesinghe was elected leader by the party members in accordance with the party constitution and in a proper manner. "There is a laid down procedure to be followed when electing a leader," he said.

Dirty act at Kandy hospital

By J.A.L. Jayasinghe

A school boy patient, suffering from a nerve disorder has been sexually abused allegedly by a male nurse at the Kandy Hospital.

The father of the 15-year-old boy has complained to the Hospital Director and the chief nurse about the horrendous act that has left people stunned beyond belief.

Hospital authorities said they had launched an investigation into the incident which they described as a disgrace to the entire medical profession.

The Sunday Times learns that the boy's father has also written to the President and the Health Minister, requesting that an impartial inquiry be held into the incident and that the culprit be punished.

Judge orders arrest of traffic inspector

By Shane Seneviratne

A High Court Judge has ordered the arrest of Kandy's Chief Traffic Inspector for allegedly threatening and using harsh language on him on Independence Day, legal source said.

They said Inspector A.S.M. Weerasinghe who was in the lead vehicle of Minister D. M. Jayaratne's escort had told judge Samith Silva allegedly in a threatening tone to take his vehicle to a side as it was obstructing the minister's vehicle.

The Minister was on his way to attend the official functions of the Independence Day ceremonies in Kandy when the incident took place at the William Gopallawa Street.

Kandy Police Division Crime Operations ASP Daya Samaraweera is conducting investigations and the inspector is said to be evading arrest.

Myanmar fishermen's ordeal ends in Tangalle

Ten Myanmar fishermen who were keeping afloat in a crippled trawler for two days without food were rescued by Sri Lankan fishermen off Tangalle yesterday.

They were handed over to the Galle Harbour Police who said the trawler of the Myanmar fishermen developed mechanical problems two weeks after they left Myanmar.

Police said the fishermen would be handed over to Foreign Ministry officials.

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