Dear Friends,
According to information received by the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC), Mr. Freddy Gamage, journalist and Editor of the Meepura, a newspaper and news website, was violently attacked by unknown persons in broad daylight. The attack occurred in the vicinity of the Negombo Municipal Council, on 2 June 2016 and left Freddy badly bruised. Currently, his life remains at risk. Concerned citizen groups are demanding a prompt and effective responde from law enforcement so that journalist and civil society activists can be free and safe when carrying on with their work. This incident demonstrates how the rule of law has long left the Island.
CASE NARRATIVE:
Freddy Gamage, journalist, Convener of the Professional Web Journalists Association, and the Editor of the Meepura website and Meepura newspaper has been brutally assaulted in broad daylight near the Negombo Municipal Council by unidentified persons on 2 June 2016.
This incident took place when Freddy Gamage was attending a meeting at the Negombo Municipal Council. The assault occurred following the meeting, when he began to approach his vehicle. Two unidentified people who arrived on a motorcycle that did not have a number plate inflicted the violence; they started assaulting Freddy Gamage with batons, in full view of all those gathered there.
Freddy explained that when he walked towards his car at around 12:15 p.m., after covering the Negombo Municipal Council’s monthly meeting, he saw two persons in full faced-helmets and raincoats on a bike without a number plate. At that moment, one of them jumped towards him and assaulted him with a wooden baton, hitting him on the head. As he started running, one of the attackers kept shouting to the other one: “hit the fellow”. Freddy managed to escaped and has been hospitalised for his head injuries.
Following the assault, Freddy Gamage lodged a complaint at the Negombo Headquarters Police Station and was admitted, to the Negombo General Hospital in ward number six, for treatment.
The two attackers were later arrested within 48 hours and the police called for an identification parade, which took place on 21 June 2016. After the parade, one of the main suspects made a threatening remark to Freddy. He told Freddy, “let’s meet”, as he made his way to the court.
Freddy played a key role in exposing corruption, involving a powerful politician in the area and his relatives; the politician also has alleged links to organised crime in Negombo.
The politician and his brother are both local government politicians in Negombo and are alleged to be behind the attack. Shortly beforehand, one of the politicians had warned Freddy that god would punish him for his comments about the politician’s family. Mobile phone records suggest the primary suspect called these politicians 16 times on the day of the attack.
Worse still is the chilling effect on media freedom as a result of this attack, which is already endangered by Sri Lanka’s culture of impunity. It is this same culture of impunity that perhaps reassured and emboldened Freddy’s attackers that they would get away with their crime.
Perpetrators who still have not been brought to justice have murdered a large number of journalists and media workers. Sri Lanka is still number 6 in the world on the Committee to Protect Journalist’s ‘impunity index’. High profile investigations into some disappearances and murders, such as those of Prageeth Eknaligoda and Lasantha Wickramatunge have commenced but have been beset by delays. The overwhelming majority of attacks remain uninvestigated.
Those who attacked Freddy Gamage may now face justice, but if those who orchestrated his attack do not, then it will confirm many journalists’ suspicions that Sri Lanka’s culture of impunity remains intact.
SUGGESTED ACTION:
Please write to the authorities listed below expressing your concern about this case and requesting an immediate investigation into the attack against a journalist by unknown persons. Further, demand prosecution of those proven to be responsible under the criminal law of the country.
To support this case, please click here: SEND APPEAL LETTER
SAMPLE LETTER
Dear ________,
SRI LANKA: Journalist attacked in broad daylight in Negombo
Name of Victim: Mr. Freddy Gamage
Alleged perpetrators: Officers attached to the Negombo Headquarters Police Station
Date of incident: 2 June 2016
Place of incident: Negombo Police Division
According to the information I have received Mr. Freddy Gamage, journalist, Convener of the Professional Web Journalists Association, and the Editor of the Meepura website and Meepura newspaper has been brutally assaulted in broad daylight near the Negombo Municipal Council by unidentified persons on 2 June 2016.
This incident took place when Freddy Gamage was attending a meeting at the Negombo Municipal Council. The assault occurred following the meeting, when he began to approach his vehicle. Two unidentified people who arrived on a motorcycle that did not have a number plate inflicted the violence; they started assaulting Freddy Gamage with batons, in full view of all those gathered there.
Freddy explained that when he walked towards his car at around 12:15 p.m., after covering the Negombo Municipal Council’s monthly meeting, he saw two persons in full faced-helmets and raincoats on a bike without a number plate. At that moment, one of them jumped towards him and assaulted him with a wooden baton, hitting him on the head. As he started running, one of the attackers kept shouting to the other one: “hit the fellow”. Freddy managed to escaped and has been hospitalised for his head injuries.
Following the assault, Freddy Gamage lodged a complaint at the Negombo Headquarters Police Station and was admitted, to the Negombo General Hospital in ward number six, for treatment.
The two attackers were later arrested within 48 hours and the police called for an identification parade, which took place on 21 June 2016. After the parade, one of the main suspects made a threatening remark to Freddy. He told Freddy, “let’s meet”, as he made his way to the court.
Freddy played a key role in exposing corruption, involving a powerful politician in the area and his relatives; the politician also has alleged links to organised crime in Negombo.
The politician and his brother are both local government politicians in Negombo and are alleged to be behind the attack. Shortly beforehand, one of the politicians had warned Freddy that god would punish him for his comments about the politician’s family. Mobile phone records suggest the primary suspect called these politicians 16 times on the day of the attack.
Worse still is the chilling effect on media freedom as a result of this attack, which is already endangered by Sri Lanka’s culture of impunity. It is this same culture of impunity that perhaps reassured and emboldened Freddy’s attackers that they would get away with their crime.
Perpetrators who still have not been brought to justice have murdered a large number of journalists and media workers. Sri Lanka is still number 6 in the world on the Committee to Protect Journalist’s ‘impunity index’. High profile investigations into some disappearances and murders, such as those of Prageeth Eknaligoda and Lasantha Wickramatunge have commenced but have been beset by delays. The overwhelming majority of attacks remain uninvestigated.
Those who attacked Freddy Gamage may now face justice, but if those who orchestrated his attack do not, then it will confirm many journalists’ suspicions that Sri Lanka’s culture of impunity remains intact.
I request the intervention of your good offices to ensure that the authorities listed below instigate an immediate investigation into the attack against a journalist by unknown persons. The officers involved must also be subjected to internal investigations for the breach of the department orders as issued by the police department.
Yours sincerely,
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PLEASE SEND YOUR LETTERS TO:
1. Mr. Pujith Jayasundara
Inspector General of Police
New Secretariat
Colombo 1
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 440440 / 327877
E-mail: igp@police.lk
2. Mr. Jayantha Jayasooriya PC
Attorney General
Attorney General’s Department
Colombo 12
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2 436421
E-mail: ag@attorneygeneral.gov.lk
3. Secretary
National Police Commission
3rd Floor, Rotunda Towers
109 Galle Road
Colombo 03
SRI LANKA
Tel: +94 11 2 395310
Fax: +94 11 2 395867
E-mail: npcgen@sltnet.lk or polcom@sltnet.lk
4. Secretary
Human Rights Commission
No. 36, Kynsey Road
Colombo 8
SRI LANKA
Tel: +94 11 2 694 925 / 673 806
Fax: +94 11 2 694 924 / 696 470
E-mail: sechrc@sltnet.lk
Thank you.
Urgent Appeals Programme
Asian Human Rights Commission (ua@ahrc.asia)
