Mentioning the editors [Vidyadaran's] name provoked a surprising response, says Amos Roberts, reporter for Australias Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) program Dateline, in his 25 minute report from Sri Lanka, referring to the spontaneous display of anger by Sri Lankas Defense Secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse who had ordered Vidyadarans arrest and accused Vidyadaran of terrorism saying, he is involved in recent air attacks and I am telling you if you try to give coverup for that person you have blood in your hands [...] I am telling you he is a terrorist. He is responsible for co-ordinating air-attacks in Colombo. Gotabaya Rajapakse is a citizen of United States.
The Dateline report covers the conditions in the detention camps in Vavuniya, the state of journalism with coverage of Lasantha Wickrematunges death, Vidyadaran interview and his arrest, and the conditions in Uthayan Dailys office in Jaffna.
Sri Lanka Military spokesperson Udaya Nanayakara, tells SBS that in Sri Lanka [i]t is the soldier, not the reporter, who has given us the freedom of press.
Breaking News on Vidyatharan
(SL 01st March )
26th March:
10.12 am-Chief Editor of the Sudaroli newspaper N. Vidyatharan was abducted by an armed group while he was attending a function this morning- Daily Mirror
10. 12 am- Editor of the Sudaroli newspaper N Vidyatharan has been kidnapped around 10 a.m today while attending a funeral in Mt. Lavinia - staff official - Ada Derana
10. 25 a.m Editor of Sudaroli newspaper N. Vidyatharan abducted by a group in a van while at a funeral in Mt. Lavinia, police say Sudaroli MD - JNW
12.05 pm- Editor of the Sudaroli newspaper N. Vidyatharan was abducted by a gang who came in a white van says Police Spokesman - Ada Derana
12.22 pm- Editor of the Sudaroli N. Vidyatharan was arrested by the police in connection with the recent LTTE air attack on Colombo - Director General MCNS - Ada Derana
12.23 pm- Sudaroli Chief Editor N. Vidyatharan was not abducted as earlier suspected but was taken in for questioning by the police - Police Spokesman.
A government minister and several state-owned news media have said the police suspect Vidyatharan of helping the LTTE carry out its February 20 air strike.
If these allegations are based on the phone calls Vidyatharan received from the Wanni or from LTTE leaders, they are grotesque, Reporters Without Borders said. A good journalist is supposed to be in contract with all the different parties to a conflict. And if he receives phone calls, he is in no way responsible for the identity of the people wanting to give him information.
The press freedom organisation added: Despite the assurances we obtained from the media minister, we continue to be very concerned for Vidyatharans safety and we call for his immediate release. His wife has been able to visit him twice in police custody since his arrest. He had visibly been injured during his arrest.
This is an abduction - Mano Ganesan
Colombo District legislator and Convenor, Civil Monitoring Commission (CMC), Mano Ganesan said what happened on Thursday morning was by all means an abduction. Unidentified persons travelling in unidentified vehicles with a special vehicle registration denotes something different. Eyewitnesses said men in police uniform bearing arms assaulted bystanders. That is not a legal arrest, he argued.
Ganesan said Vidyatharan was a respected Tamil newspaper editor and the country should have zero tolerance for abductions.
Any lawful arrest is acceptable. Such arrests can also be challenged in a court of law. There are norms and regulations that govern democratic societies but in Sri Lanka, these norms and regulations are now swiftly fading away.
He said that the abduction has now turned into an arrest and the culture of impunity in the country was alarming.
FMM calls for action
Spokesperson, Free Media Movement (FMM), Sunil Jayasekara whilst condemning the kidnapping of the senior journalist, called upon the IGP to take immediate action.
He said the abduction has taken place in a high-security zone, in a city surrounded by police and army personnel. The people involved in this incident have used force and carried weapons, forced the editor into a white van, he said.
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4:08
gotabhaya : you are either with us or against usby WebAlochana7,541 views
man that idiot is speaking too much............
i really got to piss in his mouth to shut him up...
ass fucking GR
divz100 2 years ago
Gotabaya! What to say about this idiot? I dont know where to start
sonofthedestroyer 2 years ago
Case: A Group of people called "LTTE" is doing something say 'X'. Another group of people Srilankan Government (elected by Majority Sinhalese for Sinhalese people) had been experiencing lot of troubles because of that and labelled LTTE as terrorist organisation. Finally, Srilankan Government does the same thing what exactly LTTE did. Hence, we the Tamil people name you as Liberation Lions of Sinhalese Chauvinist (also called as LLSC). We name LLSC as a terrorist organisation.
ookiuhgfhjj 2 years ago
Dear Intelligent and Proud Srilankan (born for lion and later with Tamil descent),
Firstly, I thank you for your kind response. I am not worried about the color of the vehicle and it matters to me in no way.
If you think LTTE is a terrorist organisation, then your srilankan Government is also a terrorist organisation.
ookiuhgfhjj 2 years ago
where did you schooled idiot??? doesnt matter what color is the vehicle. if its a terrorist, he has to pay for that... god bless you too one day if you cought...... how many journalists have been killed by LTTE??? including tamils... no one wants to talk about them..you losers..
randimapss 2 years ago
what is your problem with his english... you cunt come UK and see how this tamil fuckers beging around and slave on whites with fucking english.. if you want to have a 100% english,first make them full. (I hope you are perfect) loser...you have nothing left..no more LTTE fuckers in sri lanka.
randimapss 2 years ago
come on man..no need play the 'gentleman' on me. i get it.
but what i said earlier still stands!
anyone who stands in the way of the unity of the country is a traitor!
democracy, media freedom, freedom of information acts, openness: these are words invented by the western world for their own advantage!
in Sri Lanka we use them 'accordingly'! perhaps when we are in the same state as US/UK/Europe, we can use those words as they are!
mlomailom 2 years ago
Vazhaga Sinhalese. Vallarga Rajapakse.
ookiuhgfhjj 2 years ago