15th, December 1996

The following are extracts from a speech by Sarath Kongahage, MP, during the parliamentary debate on the vote of Media Ministry.

Mr. Chairman, first of all I must thank you for giving me this opportunity of addressing this House on this important debate, on the Votes of the Ministry of Media, Tourism and Aviation.

Mr. Chairman, this is a Government that rode to power on the back of the Media and no one will dispute the fact that the vast support given by the Free Media Movement helped to a great extent to obtain such a large majority for the People's Alliance Government. The PA Manifesto also clearly made the media personnel believe that they are a self-confessed lot about the past mistakes done by the U.L.F. Government during the period 1970-1977 and promised the people and the media personnel from the word go, a free media for the country.

To this end various measures were introduced and incorporated in the manifesto. Now I invite the Hon. Minister to have a deep look into the Manifesto again. Can you consciously state which of the promises you have fulfilled during this 2 1/2 years since you came to power?

Hon. Minister, after the fresh flush of victory in 1994 you appointed four Committees to go into the area of how to improve the conditions of the media in Sri Lanka. These are the names of the four Committees that you appointed:

(1) a committee to advise or the reforms of laws affecting media freedom and freedom of expression. This report was handed over to the Minister on 27th of May, 1996.

(2) a committee to report on broadbasing the ownership of Associated Newspapers of Ceylon Limited.

(3) a committee to report on the establishment of a National Media Institute.

(4) a committee to report on improving economic conditions and the status of journalists.

You are fully aware that these reports have been presented to you a long time ago, but unfortunately nothing has been done so far based on the reports presented to you. Not only these committee reports, even other factors promised in your manifesto also have not been fulfilled.

You promised in your Manifesto, a greater freedom for the media and its personnel. But on the contrary, I must say you are suppressing the media more. I do not wish to go in to every detail about all instances.

But, there have been assault on newspaper editors. Scrapping of Educational Services Bill and controlling the media through advertising. These are three major areas of clear suppression, of media freedom.

I must say these are not personal funds or the private property of anybody. The S.L.B.C., Rupavahini Corporation, ITN and Lake House, all these places belong to the people of this country. Therefore, these institutions or Government funds should not be used to further the cause of a particular political party.

We have to judge your performance in terms or your promises. I have a document here about the free media that you talked about. Here, Her Excellency the President has advised the Lake House journalists how to publish certain incidents in the newspapers. I will read this. This has been signed by the Director Editorial Consultant on November 5, 1996. The letter is addressed to all the Editors.

I quote

"To All The Editors.

H.E. the President has instructed that the A.N.C.L. Group of Newspapers should refrain from carrying news items of suicide and attempts to commit suicide.

Discussion of this subject in feature articles is not restricted.

Please inform your staff.

Sgd. Director Editorial Consultant"

Now, the President is advising the newspaper people not to publicize any incidents relating to suicides. But unfortunately on the day or the day after this circular was issued, Mr. Davindra Mendis, son of Mr. Wijeyapala Mendis, Hon. Member of Parliament died. The Lake House had not obeyed this order. They carried news items of the suicide of Mr. Davindra Mendis.

It is a sad fig leaf for a party that came into power making such lofty promises. Your Government is highly devious and you want to silence the very people who helped you to come to power by offering them carrots. Those who, perhaps, value patronage to such an extent, desperately change course mid-stream and become champions of journalistic ethics while all along they maintain that the single issue confronting the media is nothing but the "Freedom of Media".

I must say Mr. Lucien Rajakarunanayake was employed by the Hon. Minister of Tourism as a Director of Tourist Board, and now he is a Director of W.J. Walter Thomson Associates. Mr. Lucien Rajakarunanayake is a Director of this Association but still has the privilege of getting the advertising contracts from the Shell and the PERC both.

These advertisements are heavily displayed in the newspapers, and now I understand that even the "Ravaya" newspaper carries advertisements: Shell and PERC Mr. Rajakarunanayake writes to 'Yukthiya' newspaper praising the activities of the Shell and the PERC.

Now in the "Sunday Leader" of last Sunday, Mr. Lucien Rajakarunanayake in his column writes criticizing Mr. Anura Bandaranaike's condolence speech made in Parliament and talks about burning of the Jaffna Library. But one must remember that this so-called champion of free media, Mr. Rajakarunanayake was employed during this time in the Mahaweli Ministry - and I hope I am correct, - he was even given a vehicle either by that Ministry or by one of the Mahaweli Agencies at that time.

He is entitled to the views expressed in the "Sunday Leader" about the burning of the Jaffna Library. I am not disputing that. But one has to be very clear about one's views. Why did Mr. Rajakarunanayake not resign from that post at the time or if he was not there at the time of the burning of the Jaffna Library, and if he joined after that, why did he join the Mahaweli Ministry, the Minister in charge of which he accuses of being involved in the burning of the Jaffna Library?

You have your own criticism about the "Sunday Leader" newspaper because it is a newspaper which is highly critical of activities of the Government. But our criticism about the same paper is different.

I have done a serious analysis of the interviews of the "Sunday Leader" since its inception.

Seventy per cent of its interviews are with the government politicians. I was also interviewed in that, but what is the percentage of interviews given to the Opposition as against the interviews given to Government personnel?

I don't want to criticize people who cannot answer on the Floor of this House, but you Hon. Minister, who have purchased this Judas of the profession can definitely defend him, here. Also the Hon. Minister of Posts and Telecommunications, Mr. Mangala Samaraweera, in particular, who roams the country with this so-called Lucien Rajakarunanayake for the "Sudu Nelum Movement", will do that for him.

Mr. Lucien Rajakarunanayake writes about the package. He is fully entitled to write about the package. He is fully entitled to express his views on political issues. I am not for a moment disputing what he is doing. But when he does so we must truly identify his identity. Mr. Lucien Rajakarunanayake is not really Lucien Rajakarunanayake. His true name is Rozairo Ferdinandez.

Sir, I quote from "Tharunaya" of 11 the January, 1995.

What I say is, one is entitled to change his name - I am not disputing that -

The Chairman: Now you must wind up.

Mr. Sarath Kongahage: Sir, give me two minutes more.

The Chairman: You are going to take the time of your other speakers. Already we have cut off two of them.

Mr. Sarath Kongahage: I have been given 15 minutes and I am cutting down on that also.

The Chairman: You have already taken your 15 minutes.

Mr. Sarath Kongahage: I will wind up in a few seconds.

Sir, Mr. Lucien Rajakarunanayake is committing an offense. What I call "ethnic impersonation". He speaks for the Sinhalese and the Buddhists. He says he is Lucien Rajakarunanayake, and he speaks about the Sinhalese and the Buddhists and advocates things projecting himself as a Sinhalese and a Buddhist.

This is what is wrong in it. He can be a Tamil, he can be a priest, he could have been in robes, he can even have ten names, but he must not commit the offense of ethnic impersonation. These are the people who are trying to do this to this country.

I will expose another person of this type. That is Mr. Joe Seneviratne, the chief ideologist of the 'Sudu Nelum Movement". He is going around the country with the Hon. Mangala Samaraweera. His real name is "Karatara Thomas George" and he is from Kerala, India. The CID got a statement from him when he was arrested in a case that was parallel to the Hon. Indika Gunawardena's case in 1986.

His sister is Miss Rita George. She is married to Mr. Sumanasiri Liyanage, who is a Senior Lecturer in the Peradeniya University, who is also taken around the country.

The Chairman: Mr. Kongahage, now you must wind up.

Mr. Sarath Kongahage: Sir, I have so many things to say but I have no time as my time is limited. I say that these are the people who are projecting themselves to the country under different names and under different ethnic identities.

I am a Sinhalese, but if I take a Tamil name and go to a Tamil area and talk about Tamil grievances as a Tamil, is it correct? These are the champions of the Free Media Movement. People like Mr. Lucian Rajakarunanayake and Mr. Joe Seneviratne are committing the offense of ethnic impersonation.

The Hon. Dharmasiri Senanayake: You are a lawyer and the important thing is that you must take responsibility when you talk about people who are not in the House.

Mr. Sarath Kongahage: I make this statement, I am not going further into this matter. But, here in this House he can definitely be defended by you Hon. Minister, or by the champion of the Free Media Movement, the Hon. Mangala Samaraweera.

Thank you.