A look at the Media Situation in Sri Lanka Interview with Minister Anura Priyadharshana Yapa on Media Issues .
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
The witch hunt against journalists depicted as enemies of the State continues unabated in Sri Lanka.
The latest victim in this officially sanctioned unofficial campaign is Poddala Jayantha, a senior Journalist and prominent media rights activist.
Jayantha, a senior journalist at Dinamina the Sinhala daily run by Lake House , is also the General Secretary of Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) and a key activist of the Free media movement (FMM) in Sri Lanka.
The bearded Jayantha was abducted on June 1st at about 4.30 pm in broad daylight near the Embuldeniya junction in Nugegoda.
WHITE VAN
Jayantha was walking out of a pharmacy when a group of six men manhandled him and swiftly bundled him into a white Toyota Ace van.
Several people witnessed the shocking incident . Among them was someone who knew Jayantha personally.
This person who also knew veteran journalist Bennet Rupasinghe, telephoned him and told him of the incident.
66 Year old Rupasinghe was formerly with the Communist party newspaper Atha. Currently he works as news editor of the Lanka e-news web newspaper.
Rupasinghe then told his editor in chief and publisher Sanduruwan Senadheera about the incident. Senadheera and Rupasinghe then began telephoning people to alert them of the abduction.
Since they feared for Jayanthas life both telephoned as many people as they could about the incident including different media personnel. The intention was to mount pressure on those responsible for ordering the abduction and make them release Poddala Jayantha safely.
RUPAVAHINI
When the gangster-Parliamentarian Mervyn Silva and heroin dealer Kudu Lal had invaded Rupavahini premises the employees there had erupted and held both as captives
Both Sanath and Jayantha had rushed to State TV premises and persuaded employees to release Mervyn and Kudu.
Thereafter a number of Rupavahini employees were attacked with knives and razor blades on different occasions by Mervyns goondas.None were arrested.
In early January 2008 a gang of thugs in a white van went to the Boralesgamuwa area where Jayantha with the intention of abducting him
But alert residents had protested vehemently compelling the white van cowards to retreat ignominiously. Later villagers held a Bodhi pooja to invoke blessings and protection for Poddala Jayantha (Poddala is the name of his village)
Thereafter a safe houses for both Sanath and Jayantha were set up.
KEITH NOYAHR
On May 22nd 2008 Keith Noyahr , Associate editor and defence columnist of The Nation newspaper was abducted by men in civilian clothing. He was assaulted and tortured at a secret location
Prompt action spearheaded by Krishantha Cooray the former Chief Executive Officer of Rivira media corp compelled the abductors to release a severely injured Noyahr with a warning that he should stop writing for ever.
Cooray who used his wide-ranging contacts to launch a world-wide agitation for the release of Noyahr was himself under threat later and was forced to relocate to a foreign country.
In the aftermath of the Keith Noyahr incident five media rights organizations held a public demonstration on May 23rd 2008, condemning it and demanding govt action to bring the abductors to justice.
They were Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA), Federation of media employees trade union (FMETU) Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum (SLMMF),Sri Lanka Tamil Journalists Alliance (SLTJA) and the Free Media Movement (FMM).
It was well known then that FMM convenor Sunanda Deshapriya, and SLWJA stalwarts Sanath Balasuriya and Poddala Jayantha were the livewires behind the protest demonstration.
GOTABHAYA
Shortly after this demonstration Defence secretary and Presidential sibling Gotabhaya Rajapakse summoned Balasuriya and Jayantha to his office. Also present were former Lakbima editor and present chairman of Lake House Bandula Padmakumara and Media center for National security director Lakshman Hulugalle.
Secretary Rajapakse went on a tirade against both saying that as Lake House employees they could not go against the Govt. Gota also charged that they were working against the Army commander Sarath Fonseka and the Army. There was a heated exchange of views.
Read on : http://www.dbsjeyaraj.com/dbsj/archives/710
Source : YaTV.org
Loading...
4:24
Journalist Poddala Jayantha Abducted by whit Vanby vikalpasl269 views
Link to this comment:
Video Responses
All Comments (0)