Leader Publications printing house set
FMM reports with outrage that unidentified gang set fire to one of the major newspaper printing houses early this morning (21st Nov 2007). Printing press of the Leader Publications, which publish weekly The Sunday Leader, mid weekly Morning Leader and Sinhala Weekly Irudina was completely destroyed by the fire.
The printing house was situated at 24, Katukurunduwatta Road, Rathmalana. The damage estimated at millions of rupees.
Today issue of Morning Leader print run was on, when the gang of 15 forced themselves into the printing house. The gang first forced management and workers to hand over their mobile phones and to kneel down before setting fire to the machines, according to journalists who visited the scene. Today’s issue of Morning Leader is on line at http://www.themorningleader.lk/20071121/news.html .
Recently the Morning Leader editor has been very critical of Asia Tribune website, which according to the editor working in hand in hand with the breakaway LTTE militant group now headed by Pilleyan. She filed a civil defamation case against the web site weeks ago and in retaliation website unleashed a series of articles attacking the editor.
The Sunday leader printing press was set on fire earlier occasion on 17th October 2005 in the run up to presidential election. The newspaper and its editor Mr. Lasantha Wikramatunga as well as Morning Leader Editor Sonali Samarasinghe have been harassed and threatened continuously during the last two years. All Leader publications are very critical towards the government and exponents of opposition political views.
FMM hold authorities responsible for not being able to protect the printing house. The culture of impunity prevails in this country has prevented any meaningful inquiry into all acts of violence against media and journalists that has taken place under this government. The government has failed miserably to uphold and maintain rule of law when peoples democratic and human rights are violated.
FMM urge civil society and political society who uphold freedom of expression to come forward at this time in defence of people’s right to information and for the right to have free press in Sri Lanka.
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About AHRC: The Asian Human Rights Commission is a regional non-governmental organisation monitoring and lobbying human rights issues in Asia. The Hong Kong-based group was founded in 1984. The above statement has only been forwarded by the AHRC.
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