Death threats to opposition ministers...

President's Counseler Mr. Desmond Fernando writes today to the secretary general of International Commission of Jurists (ICJ) in Geneva about Death Threats to Opposition Parliamentarians in Sri Lanka. The full statement is follows:

I write to bring to your attention the very serious situation in Sri Lanka. Death Threats have been received by Opposition Parliamentarians, particularly by Parliamentarians of the minority Tamil ethnic group.

The Committee of the Human Rights of Parliamentarians of the Inter-Parliamentary Union at its 116th session of January 2007 decided to make this case public and consequently submitted a draft resolution for adoption to the Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union.

Since independence from 1948, this country has been a vibrant democracy and it is our misfortune that in the last two years there has been a near total collapse of this democracy.

I enclose a copy of the resolution of the Human Rights Committee of the Inter-Parliamentary Union which specifically refers to the death threats to Dr. Jayalath Jayawardena, Mr. G. Ponnambalam, Mr. S. Kajendren, Mr. S. Jayanandamoorthy, Mr. S. Kisshor, Mr. T. Kanagasabai, Mr. K. Pathmanathan, Mr. T. Kathiraman, Mr. P. Ariyanethran and Mr. C. Chandranehru.

It is significant that Dr. Jayawardena's security has been withdrawn, in spite of the fact that official intelligence reports indicated that his life is in danger. Dr. Jayawardena is a Member of the majority Sinhala community who is doing his best to solve the serious ethnic problem in this country. During the Premiership of Mr. Ranil Wickremesinghe who commenced the Peace Process and stopped discrimination against Tamil areas in Sri Lanka, Dr. Jayawardena held the office of Minister of Rehabilitation, Resettlement & Refugees and is highly regarded by the Tamil community. Racist groups who dominate the present government are preventing the government from doing its duty to protect all citizens, particularly Members of Parliament, regardless of race and ethnicity.

I also have credible information that the Government of Sri Lanka in violation of basic democratic norms and humane conduct used para-military groups with whom the government is in close contact to kidnap the son-in-law of Mr. T. Kanagasabai, MP (a Tamil MP), to prevent Mr. Kanagasabai from voting in Parliament against the second reading of the Budget on 19th November, 2007.

Although I am a Sinhalese myself, I am deeply concerned about the manner in which the government is harassing the duly elected representatives of the Tamil people of this country. The working of parliamentary democracy in this country is in serious jeopardy by the use of violence.

With kind regards,
Yours sincerely,

Desmond Fernando
Past Vice President - International Commission of Jurists

TRO banned by government...

The Sri Lanka government has decided to ban the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), a front for the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), Minister Nimal Siripala de Siva revealed in parliament today.

The cabinet last night decided to ban the TRO with immediate effect.

The proposal to ban the organization which is under investigation in many parts of the world for its links with LTTE came from Foreign Minister Rohitha Bogollagama.

The Sri Lankan government would urge the international community and international non-governmental organizations to sever links with the TRO.

The government froze all local assets of the TRO last year and the United States early this month followed suit in freezing TRO assets as part of its campaign of "financially isolating terrorist groups and their support networks.

The LTTE proscription which was imposed in 1998 came to be lifted in 2002 following the Norwegian backed process of direct negotiations.

"No one can attack on the Leader Publications press without the knowledge of the Defence Ministry." -Opposition Leader

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday charged that the attack on the Leader Publications press was a blow to media freedom and democracy in the country.

In a statement, the Opposition Leader said: "The junta ruling the country today has delivered another deadly blow to democracy. Early this morning an armed group stormed the Sunday Leader and Irudina Newspaper press, setting one building on fire and severely damaging a number of printing machines."

"This press is located in a High Security Zone. The Ratmalana Airport, the Air Force base, the Kotelawala Defence Academy and an Army camp are also located in this area."

"There are road blocks at every entry point to this zone. Nobody can gain easy access to this zone. It would be extremely difficult to enter this area at night."

"A number of aircraft belonging to the Air Force are hangared at the Ratmalana airbase and tight security measures have been put in place to ensure their safety. So it is surprising that an armed group could gain entry to such a heavily fortified area."

"If any group is to enter this area, they can only do so with the knowledge the Defence Ministry. No one can enter this area without the knowledge of the Ministry."

"Security arrangements in this area are being implemented thoroughly. Hence the armed group had been dispatched there with the knowledge of the Government and the Defence Ministry to destroy the press."

"That is why I brand this regime as a junta. The Cabinet is not aware of these things. This junta has control over the economy, business activities and defence. They have unleashed corruption and terror on the country."

"The Sunday Leader and the Irudina spoke out against these activities. We see this as an attempt to close down these newspapers as they pose a threat to the junta. On previous occasions, too, these newspapers have come under threat."

"Today the media is being suppressed by the banning of newspapers and electronic media and by setting fire to printing presses. Media men too have been intimidated and have to work in a climate of fear."

"The most number of journalists killed have been from Sri Lanka. Many international media organizations have protested against this dangerous trend in Sri Lanka."

"The United National Party vehemently condemns threats against media freedom. We will commit ourselves to upholding media freedom."

Anura Bandaranaike short of one body gurad...

A body of a Police Sergeant attached to the Ministerial Security Division of National Heritage Minister Anura Bandaranaike was found dumped in the Beira Lake last morning.

The body of the 40-year-old man, identified as Wasantha, a father of two, had been noticed by a resident of the area who had informed the Slave Island police. They are conducting investigations into whether the death is a murder, accident or suicide.

The corpse was found trapped under a bridge on Nawam Mawatha. The victim's face had been attacked by fish but no other injuries were apparent. The body was later identified by the wife.

Police spokesman Senior DIG Jayantha Seneviratne told that the victim, who had reported for duty on Monday night,had gone missing afterwards.

The victim, a resident of Hemmathagama in Mawanella, had served in Mr. Bandaranaike's personal security detail for many years.

May be this is a result of Anura's statement in the parliament, explaining why he's voting in favor of the budget...

Security forces accused of complicity in arson attack on Leader Publications -RWB

Reporters Without Borders which is a International Media Orgnization condemns an arson attack early today on the printing press of the Sunday Leader media group, which is located in a high security area outside Colombo. About 15 gunmen that staged the attack must have had support within the security forces, the press freedom organisation said.

"Armed men have once again attacked a independent news media in a high security area of the capital," Reporters Without Borders said. "It unfortunately shows that the press freedom enemies have accomplices within the security forces. By attacking the Leader Publications group, this gang wanted to silence one of the main sources of incisive criticism of the current government. We urge foreign diplomats to publicly express their solidarity with the group."

Leader Publications owns two English-language newspapers, The Sunday Leader and Morning Leader, and the Sinhalese-language weekly Irudina. Its printing press is located Ratmalana, a high-security zone adjoining a military airport outside the capital.

A gang consisting of both Sinhalese and Tamils stormed the premises early this morning, rounded up all of the 25 employees and, at gunpoint, forced them hand over their mobile phones. Then they doused the presses with petrol and set them on fire. They also set fire to the thousands of copies of today's issue of the Morning Leader, which was about to be distributed. Firemen took an hour to put out the blaze.

A Sunday Leader journalist told Reporters Without Borders that the presses would be out of commission for several months. The group would have to use the services of a commercial printer in order to continue publishing, he said. The damage will also affect the Tamil daily Sudar Oli, which was printed on Leader Publications' presses.

Sunday Leader editor Lasantha Wickramatunga described the attacked as a commando operation carried out on the government's orders. Known for his investigations and critical editorials, Wickramatunga has been accused by ruling party parliamentarians of supporting the Tamil Tiger rebels. The government had planned to arrest him in late 2006 for revealing the construction of a luxurious presidential bunker in Colombo, but backed down for fear of triggering strong international criticism.

An armed group already set fire to newspapers at the Leader Publications printing press in October 2005, but employees put the fire out before the presses were damaged.

Destruction of Leader Publications shows the jungle law in country. Says Mano Ganeshan

Coward destruction of Leader Publications printing house is nothing but the reflection of prevalent jungle law in the country says WPF leader and CMC Convener Mano Ganesan MP in a statement issued by Civil Monitoring Commission. The statement further states.

'It is no secret that all Leader publications were critical of the government. It naturally published the other side of the story produced and published by the state media. This country needs counter print and electronic media. This way it is a necessary integral part of performing free media in Sri Lanka. The government of the day on one hand is responsible for the law and order. The state law enforcement agencies have miserably failed to provide protection to this institution which had come
under attack on earlier occasions too. On the other hand government politicians cannot play innocent away from the natural accusation in this dastardly act. CMC considers this as the latest challenge to our civilization'

Sunday Leader' printing house set on fire...

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.

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 break away 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.