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Journalists intimidated by armed forces at Palaly

Journalists invited by the Minister of Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Resettlement of refugees Mr. Jeyalath Jeyawardana to collect news and to document the ceremonial reception accorded to the leading monks the Mahanayake Theras of the Asgiriya and Malwatta Chapters who arrived at Palaly airport at 9.00 am on Monday, were shabbily treated and intimidated and one of them threatened with death. Further to this indecently treatment and threat to life posed by the armed men of the Security Forces the journalists were chased away from the venue where ceremonial reception to the Mahanayake Theras was taking place.

Minister Mr. Jeyalath Jeyawardana had invited nine of the media persons who function in the peninsula. The journalists were taken to Palaly from the Jaffna Secretariat and with the security personnel accompanying. Notwithstanding the authorized arrangement by the minister and preliminaries for the bona fide of the journalists they were exhaustively examined at the Military Front Security Point at Punnalaikkadduvan and none of the journalists were allowed to carry with them the cameras and photographic equipments and even other materials indispensable for journalists. When the journalists tried to be persuasive to get the Security Personnel to understand how indispensable the equipments and materials were for journalism the journalists were only countered with heated arguments. The journalists had to proceed to the venue of the reception at Palaly having been relieved of all journalistic equipments and materials except the audiocassette recorders. They were taken through the Passenger Departure Entrance to the runway. The journalists could view the arriving Mahanayakes, the high priest of the Buddhist order but they were not anyhow allowed to participate in the main ceremony that took place at a special venue in the aerodrome. Not only they were denied the privilege of being at the right place to watch the welcome ceremonies nut also chased away under threats. Worse still it was when an army officer threatened one journalist with death.

Later when the officers of the Security Forces wanted to take the journalists to Karainagar and to Nainativu all the journalists boycotted the rest of the agenda of the organizers. Subsequently the Association of journalists in Jaffna issued a statement strongly condemning the indecent act of the armed Security personnel.

The Mahanayakes who arrived at Palaly had brought with them a five-foot high statue of the Buddha to install at the Vihara of the Nagatheepam Baudhdha Bikkus in Nainativu. This statue was taken on a decorated vehicle to Nainathivu with Security Forces providing Security.

In the meanwhile the Mahanayakes had conducted a ceremony of chanting prith at the Palaly aerodrome and they were later taken to the Naval Base in Karainagar with a motorcade providing them security. They continued their journey by boats to Nainativu where they attended to the rest of the ceremonies.

06 January 2004

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