The assassination of Lasantha Wickramatunga, a veteran investigative journalist and the editor of the Sunday Leader, who has exposed corruption and abuse of power by the Rajapakse regime, has sparked the most widespread protest in recent times. Despite of the governments extensive attempts to disclaim responsibility accusing fingers have been pointed at the government from almost all local sources and several international agencies. Todays funeral is expected to be attended by a large gathering and the Bar Association of Sri Lanka will also conduct a separate demonstration to protest against the attack on their colleague and to call upon the government to take all measures to avoid a recurrence.
Meanwhile the government has been attempting to suppress the protest. Two members of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP), who were taking part in an island-wide poster campaign calling for respect for media freedoms, were arrested by the Kotahena police and are still in detention. This is seen as an attempt to prevent the JVP, which was formerly a partner in the government, from entering into an active campaign for the restoration of media freedoms.
Furthermore, at a press conference organised by the opposition at the residence of Ranil Wickremasinghe, the leader of the opposition which was attended by representatives of several political parties, the opposition drew the attention of the public to the operation of death squads regarding whom it said that the assassinated journalist, Lasantha Wickramatunga, was conducting investigations. According to the opposition spokesman, Wickramatunga had gathered information on several assassinations of politicians and journalists by a group that is operating secretly. One spokesman mentioned that this group is sometimes known as K-9 or the Mahason Battalion. The opposition also stated that even the lives of the leader of the opposition, Ranil Wickremasinghe and Mangala Samaraweera, another leading opposition politician who is a former minister of the ruling regime, are in danger.
The Bar Associations initiative to call upon its members to participate in an open protest march is the result of the apprehension that many lawyers may face threats to their lives in the present situation. Two grenades were thrown at the house of one lawyer in September 2008 and the names of several lawyers were exhibited in the Ministry of Defense website as those appearing for terrorist suspects. In October a letter was distributed to several lawyers and the registrars of courts by a group calling itself Mahason Balakaya naming anyone who appeared for alleged terrorist suspects in court as traitors deserving death.
There is apprehension by all opposition political parties, trade unions, civil society organisations and lawyers that a group operating secretly is now going after identified targets with a view to eliminating them. During 1986 to 89 there were death squads operating in this manner which caused the deaths or disappearances of tens of thousands of persons.
What makes the operation of such groups possible is the absence of any form of investigations into such assassinations and threats of assassinations. Even the belief that some form of investigation will be conducted does not exist anymore. The opposition has openly claimed that it has no trust at all in the investigations done by the police. In any case, the police do not have the capacity to investigate into operations allegedly done by an army intelligence unit. Mr. Wickremasinghe, told parliament that acts such as attacks on the Sirasa TV and the assassination of Lasantha Wickramatunga are acts of an army intelligence unit.
All opposition parties and citizens groups are now quite alert to the serious danger to the lives of many persons from these death squads. There is serious concern that unless there is a comprehensive strategy to defeat this move many lives may be lost in the near future. On the other hand the government does not seem to be in any mood to admit its failure to provide protection to its citizens. Besides, the Sri Lankan police force does not have the capacity anymore to act independently from the directives of the government and from the Ministry of Defense. Thus, this situation is a critical one.
The opposition has called for an international inquiry into the assassination of Lasantha Wickramatunga and the spate of other acts of violence. In the past there have been instances when Scotland Yard had been called upon to conduct inquiries where the government was accused of masterminding some crime. For example, following the assassination of a former minister, Lalith Athulathmudali, in 1993, the former president called on Scotland Yard to conduct the inquiries with a view to demonstrate that he had no hand in this assassination. Under the present circumstances there will not be any credible inquiry into the death of Lasantha Wickramatunga and other acts of violence such as the attack on Sirasa TV unless it is conducted by competent investigators from outside.
