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Towards a dangerous situation

Tamil Journalists Association issued a plea to the Sri Lankan government to conduct investigations into the increasing number of threats, by the Sri Lankan military, to Tamil journalists and Tamil newspaper offices.

Sri Lankan government policy on press freedom is brought into the open by the attacks and threats on the Tamil journalists, and the sudden and invasive searches of Tamil newspaper offices, over the last few months. One must wonder what exactly they mean when they proclaim they are for press freedom.

Sri Lankan government remained indifferent: when our office and the Thinakural office in Jaffan was subjected to sudden searches; when journalists were attacked at the Paremeshwara junction in Jaffna; and when journalists belonging to Sudar Oli, Thinakural, MTV, and Veerakesari were attacked in Colombo. Protests by local and international Journalists Associations made no difference to the government’s position.

The threats and attacks on Tamil journalists and newspaper offices have increased since Mahinda Rajapakse took office. It appears that the aim of the government is to crush the Tamil media by preventing its efficient functioning. By doing this the government may be hoping to stop the truth from coming out.

Except the state controlled media, no other Tamil media is willing to act as government’s propaganda tool. All the independent Tamil media is functioning to protect the welfare of the Tamil nation. This is enraging the Sinhala chauvinistic forces.

Atrocities of the Sri Lankan armed forces in the Tamil homeland have again reached alarming levels. Abductions, murders, disappearances have all reappeared. At this time the Sinhala chauvinists are attempting to control the Tamil media that is focused on the Tamil homeland news.

This approach of the government, to strengthen the Sinhala Nationalism, by threatening the Tamil journalists and Tamil media, will not change just because of condemnation from local and international media groups.

It may be that a free media is a threatening presence to a government that is unable to keep the doors firmly open for the peace efforts.

One should not hope that this government that has lost the support of the freely functioning media will make any effort to improve its behaviour.

There is no guarantee that this government that has turned on the Tamil journalists and the Tamil media will not turn on the Sinhala and English media.

If the journalists and the media around the island fail to stand up against this behaviour of the government it will push the island into a dangerous situation.

09 January 2006

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