Dangerous situation confronting journalists

The recent collo-quium in Colombo on media freedom and defamation appears to have had as great an impact, if not a greater one, outside Sri Lanka as in the host country itself.

That is proof enough that knowledge of the hazards facing journalists in Sri Lanka is not confined to the boundaries of our country. This is being viewed with much concern in political, diplomatic and media circles not only here in Britain but also in many Commonwealth and non-Commonwealth countries.

I'm in the possession of material- some of which I cannot disclose just now- which speaks of the frightening situation in Sri Lanka and the torrid time that journalists have to undergo in the performance of their legitimate duties.

Some of these documents are assessments of the media situation in Sri Lanka. Some of them have been written after the colloquium in Colombo, some are reports of the colloquium and the general atmosphere in the country as put together by practising journalists who were present and others that apparently represent the government standpoint.

The Sri Lanka government would be making an enormous and tragic error if it or the authorities mandated to set the official line and media policy believe that what happens in the country is not known outside.

One document handed to me by a very senior British journalist from a very influential, quality newspaper who knows Sri Lanka very well, was a photocopy of a letter written to the Editor of The Sunday Times who also happens to be the President of the Editors' Guild by the President's Media adviser and published in the state-run Daily News.

For the moment I will refrain from commenting on media advisers and press secretaries in general. That is because Prime Minister Tony Blair's own spinmeister Alistair Campbell, a genuine journalist not a spurious mediaman, has been catching concentrated flak and I would like to take up the subject on a more propitious occasion.

The point I wish to make here is this. If an administration believes the world does not know what is happening inside the confines of its own little world, the sooner it sheds such illusions the better it would be. If a state assisted by state agencies that are expected to remain neutral, harass, intimidate, coerce and physically abuse its own people from whatever strata, news of such abuse will not remain closeted for ever. Before long the world will be as privy to what has happened as our own people. Or even before them, as Sri Lankans have often relied on the foreign media to bring them news censored by their own government.

That is particularly so in today's world of technology. Why I mentioned the letter from the president's media adviser is not because I believe he is a probable candidate for the Booker Prize or I particularly admire his sentiments, but because he does make a valid comment on the free flow of information.

Since he appears to value this as an important commodity I hope that he will use his considerable influence as a well known media personality to convince those who would like to invoke censorship now and then about the futility of it in today's world.

It is precisely the free flow of information that has heightened international understanding and concern for the plight of those Sri Lankan journalists who believe that there is a world outside the murky one of the state media and that they have a duty to perform by society.

In the last few days several prominent British and other journalists, diplomats and academics-some of them I've known earlier- have talked to me about what they consider the "dangerous situation" confronting journalists.

In fact I was somewhat ashamed that they should give me photocopies of documents that bespoke the state of the media in Sri Lanka. One was a letter addressed by Victor Ivan, Editor of the Ravaya which basically informs the world that he believes his life is in danger for articles exposing the misdeeds of government and those in high places. I was indeed surprised because if I remember correctly, he was one who was wined and dined by high ups in the government and seemed to have entre to the highest levels.

No doubt governments have physically removed their political rivals and journalistic critics. It is not only governments that have done so. There is however a lesson to be learned from all this. Politicians and state officials who collude in such reprehensible acts have often met violent ends too.

If governments believe they can continue to intimidate the media and that, coupled with attacks on them in the government controlled media will, cow critics then it is a poor reflection on both the government and its media.

They should take lessons from countries in the Asian region. Very powerful leaders in Indonesia, Korea, Thailand, the Philippines and Taiwan were able to batter the media at one time. But not permanently. The longer they were suppressed the more eagerly awaited for the judgement day.

Among the photocopies that journalists, diplomats and policy makers have in their hands appears to be an editorial dated September 15 from that once- respected newspaper the Daily News. Its coarse, intemperate and abusive language could hardly serve as a guide to good English for today's students as those editorials did when we were schoolboys.

Somebody who summed up the situation for me said this: "Essentially the situation in the country has deteriorated to a point where I sincerely doubt that under this government it can be rectified".

An Indian journalist, Sidharth Bhatia who was present at the colloquium wrote an article subsequently.

"This is a government that had said it would not create a reign of terror like the previous UNP had done-its manifesto had a large section on freedom of expression. But these have remained platitudes and its record has been very discouraging," he said quoting a leading journalist.

One thing is sure. Attacks on journalists in various ways have set in motion a train of events that is certainly not going to bring credit to Sri Lanka.

On the contrary, Sri Lanka has been put under the microscope and our leaders will find that the issue will crop up at the most unexpected places and at official level too. That is the state of play right now. Notice has been given.

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