A widely-publicised book released in Europe and the United States recently is perhaps relevant to a country like Sri Lanka where journalists are fast becoming an endangered species.
Appropriately titled "Is Journalism Worth Dying For?', the book is a collection of articles written by Russian journalist Anna Politkovskaya who was shot dead in Moscow in 2006.
A mother of two, Politkovskaya was described as a "fearless journalist" who wrote some of the most devastating articles on the darker side of Vladimir Putin's regime in Russia, including thuggery, corruption, extra-judicial killings, a partisan judiciary and a brutal war against the separatists in Chechnya.
Some of the horror stories in the 468-page book are a reflection of an authoritarian regime where no dissent was tolerated. She fought a relentless battle to expose the ruthlessness of the regime and graphically describes a Chechen woman scraping her father's brains "from the walls into a bag in order to bury them."
But Politkovskaya, 48, paid for her fearless writing with her life leaving the question in the title of her book unanswered: "Is Journalism Worth Dying For"?
Siyatha boss stopped by PSD
The President and the Opposition Leader showed up for a rare joint appearance at the Kelaniya Raja Maha Vihara for a ceremony to coincide with the 2600 Sambuddhatva Jayanthi celebrations this week on the eve of Vesak full moon day.
The two of them were hosted to lunch after the religious events. The added excitement of the President and the Opposition Leader being present together attracted many worshippers who normally visit the historic temple.
One person who was inside the temple was, however, not allowed into the sanctum sanctorum of the Vihara despite being a member of the Dayaka Sabha or the Board of Trustees. That was Priyantha Kariyapperuma who was not allowed in by the burly PSD men.
The one time Chairman of the Telecommunications Regulatory Commission (TRC) and presently of Siyatha TV station, Kariyapperuma unfortunately backed the 'wrong horse' at the Presidential election, say those in the corridors of power.
Dutch police grill LTTE member in Oslo Court;
official wants Norway to join EU against Tigers
A Norway-based Tamil who is believed to have played a key role in financing the Tamil Tigers (LTTE) was secretly interrogated for two days at the Oslo District Court, according to Norwegian media. The interrogation was conducted at the request of the Dutch authorities.
Dutch investigators believe the man has played a key role in the financing of the LTTE.
A few months ago, members of the Dutch police called on the suspect, who works at a kindergarten. The man has been living in Norway since 2005. In the spring of 2003, he was part of an LTTE delegation that was invited to the Norwegian Parliament (Storting), where the delegates met Erik Solheim, the politician who had a lead role in Sri Lanka’s peace talks.
The LTTE is listed as a terrorist organisation in the United States, Australia and the 27 European Union countries, but not in Norway, where LTTE members can operate freely. Norway’s Conservative Party believes the country should join the other 27 EU countries in ranking the Tamil Tigers as a terrorist organisation.
“We must follow the EU,” Norwegian media quoted Peter S. Gitmark of the Foreign Affairs and Defence Committee as saying.
“We know that the Tamils are gathering money in Norway, and have done so for a long time,” Mr. Gitmark said. “This is affected by the Terrorist Legislation in the EU, and makes Norway a safe haven. If a safe haven also leads to reinitiating a new resistance movement, the political consequences will be large. And the consequences for the civil population in Sri Lanka will be dramatic.”
Security and solemnity
The sanctity of the consecration of the new Bishop of the Church of Sri Lanka (the Anglican Church) was disturbed with protests and walkouts after the Presidential Security Division took control of the Cathedral of Christ the Living Saviour three days before the ceremony last week, organisers say.
The consecration of the Rt. Rev. Dhiloraj Canagasabey as the new Bishop of Colombo in succession to Rt. Rev. Duleep de Chickera took place last Saturday. Among the 1,500 invitees were President Mahinda Rajapaksa and his wife Shiranthi. As a security measure PSD personnel moved into the cathedral last Wednesday and tight security was enforced for the next three days with even pastors who visited the diocesan office for official work being searched or bodychecked.
The organisers say that on the day of the ceremony PSD personnel kept several VIP invitees waiting outside the Cathedral until the President and his wife arrived.
Among those who were kept waiting were Opposition United National Party Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe, who however was led through the front after he was recognized by PSD men.
When the President and his wife arrived they were ceremonially escorted to the front pew. Media personnel including photojournalists were told by the PSD they would have to occupy pews somewhere in the middle from where it would be difficult to take good photographs of the consecration or follow the proceedings.
The photojournalists protested to the PSD but the protests were overruled, provoking a walkout by some of the journalists.
Eventually, the photographs carried in newspapers were those sent by the Presidential Media Unit.
Mervyn in high spirits again
Minister Mervyn Silva is once again making news by imposing his own rules in the Kelaniya electorate.
While Government had directed that liquor bars and taverns be closed for three days to mark the Sambuddhatva Jayanthi celebrations, Minister Silva has gone a step further and said these places should remain closed till tomorrow (Monday).
However some traders have chosen to ignore his orders and opened their businesses on Thursday. The same tactic was adopted during the Avurudu season last year when he forced bars and taverns to close for a whole week.
Complying and complaining
Minister Wimal Weerawansa who emerged as a lone crusader against the United Nations by resorting to a hunger strike opposite the UN office in Colombo just last year was the surprise choice by the government to speak at the UN in New York on the occasion of the ceremony held within the august Assembly to mark the 2600th year of Sambuddhatva Jayanthi.
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| Wimal Weerawansa joining a protest outside the UN headquarters |
He came face to face, more or less, with the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon whose effigy his party supporters burnt at the recent May Day rally. In his speech he outlined a summary of some of the fundamental teachings of the Buddha, making particular reference to the Ambatta Sutta, where the Buddha preached that even a very small bird like Latukika should have the fundamental right to talk and act according to its "free will" within its nest.
"However, we see that in today's world, small sovereign nations are gradually losing that right. Regrettably, this situation has gone too far today where world bodies such as the UN seem to have abandoned their fundamental duty of defending their member states. In Buddhist perspective the reason for all these is the selfish "hunger for power", which applies to individuals as well as nations," he said.
Having participated in religious observances and delivered his speech, Minister Weerawansa later walked out into the chilly winds opposite the UN building to join a protest organised by Sri Lankans.
The mercurial Minister is known to have called for a setting up of a rival international organisation that will introduce a 'New World Order' - his party supporters carried portraits of President Mahinda Rajapaksa with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, Libyan leader Muammar Gaddafi, Russian Prime Minister Vladimir Putin and Chinese Prime Minister Wen Jiabao.
Crashed TN minister takes refuge in Sri Lanka
The setbacks in elections for politicians can be difficult to overcome for many of them, and the problem is universal.
One of them who could not bear to stay at home in the face of an embarrassing drubbing at the recently concluded polls in the southern Indian State of Tamil Nadu was the state's former Housing Development Minister Govindan Palanisamy.
He has opted to spend more than a week in Sri Lanka.
He selected the cooler climes of the hill country, for his stay and wants to spend a few days in other areas as well before he gets back.
More non-diplomats as diplomats
With a major reshuffle in diplomatic postings currently underway, the latest beneficiaries have been Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella's daughter and film-star-turned politician Ravindra Randeniya.
Both of them are tipped to go to the mission in the US. Meanwhile, Minister Athauda Seneviratne's son is due to take over a posting in the Netherlands.
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