Attacks on journalists continue unabated despite of massive protests from local and international agencies and despite all sorts of talk by the spokesmen for the government about stopping human rights violations. Empty rhetoric assuring respect for human rights only hides the cynical disregard for the rights of the citizens. Silencing all is the actual policy followed through physical attacks as well as attempts to shout down everyone that cares to show concern about what is going on in the country.
The latest attack on Namal Perera of the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) and Mr. Mahendra Ratnaweera, of the British High Commission of Sri Lanka, is the latest addition to a series of attacks on journalists which have been going on for some time and which have been escalating during the last few weeks beginning with the kidnapping and torture of the editor of The Nation, Mr. Keith Noyahr. The Free Media Movement has consistently reported on the recent attacks and we reproduce below several of their statements for easy reference
Such physical assaults are accompanied with a psychological warfare which portrays journalists critical of the government as traitors. The use of such terminology against journalists is not usual in Sri Lanka despite of the fact that often very vicious verbal attacks are made against anyone who dares to dissent. Such accusations of treachery in any context takes place only when schemes of physical attacks have already been made and the carrying out of such schemes requires the conditioning of the minds of the people who are supposed to see, in all this, a war against their enemies carried out by their guardians. In some of the statements from official sources of the government, media defense analysts are termed traitors. Even radio shows have been used to address journalists and leaders of journalists movements in a provocative manner with the obvious intention of moving people against them. Many of these statements will easily fall within the classification of hate speech. Hate speech and brutal attacks go hand-in-hand.
Of course, demanding investigations into these matters, while an obligation for those who believe in democratic freedoms, is quite unlikely to bear any positive results. Of course any amount of assurances can be made about such investigations by those who are trained to make such replies as a usual reaction to all criticism. As much as the physical assaults and the hate speech campaigns are well organised the immediate reactions by way of smooth speeches promising respect for human rights is also well orchestrated. Over the period of a few decades Sri Lankan authorities have perfected the art of absolute impunity. If in the eighties this was practiced regarding forced disappearances, now it is practiced for anything and everything including assaults on any journalist or anyone else.
Can such a situation be resolved by technical assistance from outside? It quite simply does not make any sense to claim that such brutal attacks and hate speech is taking place due to the lack of technical assistance in the area of the administration of justice. The issue is one of political will. With the slightest political will to stop attacks on journalists and others, much of this violence can be stopped. The problem of political will is unfortunately linked to bigger issues such as corruption. Attacks on journalists are aimed at creating silence on all issues of national importance including the ways to deal with the most extreme forms of corruption that are so widespread in the country.
For further information please refer to the following links:
http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2008statements/1569/
http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2008statements/1568/
http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2008statements/1583/
http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2008statements/1607/
http://www.ahrchk.net/statements/mainfile.php/2008statements/1608/
