Interview with Asanga Welikala on J.S. Tissainayagam-s bail /* Sri Lanka */

Tamil journalist J.S. Tissainayagam was enlarged on bail today pending the appeal of his conviction under the Prevention of Terrorism Act. Groundviews spoke with Asanga Welikala, Senior Researcher at the Centre for Policy Alternatives, for his views on this development and its implications for media freedom and the freedom of expression in Sri Lanka.

Groundviews repeatedly flagged the case of Tissainayagam as a significant affront to media freedom and the freedom of expression. Nimalka Fernando, a leading human rights activist, even called his conviction a travesty of justice.

A compelling article on Tissanaiyagams case, written by a supporter of the Mahinda Rajapaksa government and read well over five thousand times to date is The sentencing J.S Tissainayagam: Not in my name! by Sandun Ratnaweera. Sanduns article, published on Groundviews in September 2009, highlighted a vital point: I heard today that Daya Master the LTTE Media head had been released on bail and that according to the Daily Mirror the CID found that they had committed no crime under the prevention of terrorism act. If Daya Master, whose only livelihood for the last 30 years was blatant LTTE propaganda and who obviously drew a pay check from the LTTE every month is, in the eyes of our courts, not guilty of any crime under the PTA, I am really at a loss to understand the sentence handed down to Tissainayagam.

It is a point no one from Government, to date, has even attempted to answer.


Special Thanks for Video to Groundviews.org

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• groundview
• sri
• lanka
• mahinda
• Rajapaksha
• Tamil
• free
• Media
• War
• Killing
• Human
• Rights
• Tissainayagam
• Abductions
• threat
• Election
• vote
• sinhala
• LTTE
• TMVP
• SLFP
• colombo
• cpa

[cricketLanka]

1. in north Gov didn't even allow tamils to vote. only 12% voted. if 70% allowed to vote then rajapaksa would have lost another 5 laks of less vote gap.

2. in south, if SF allowed to use rupavahini, swarnavahini and ITN then another 5 laks more SF would have get.

3. If rjapaksa rajathuma didn't rig vote SF wolld have get another 5 laks vote

4. If SF would have allowed to use gov employees and departments like mahinda used, then SF would have get another 5 laks more then MR.

[willesdon]

elam`s joking leaga sistem is no where to seen,

lanka`s joking sistem have put every ltte-terrorist in jail including KP!

how could a ltte terrorist expect a fair on terrorists right to bus bomb? free dome to expess ltte terrorisum?

[willesdon]

these ltte killed 30k tamils 4 last 30 years to put the blame on army thats why world imposed a ban on ltte word wide

not only that as u admit ltte did bus bombing in south & north to kill sivilianse , thats why world frozed their assets in abroad!

ltte did shelling on tamils to put the blame on army thats why uk, usa, canda, frrance put ltte`s forien leaders in jail!

sl is not a singnatory to ICC & CHINA , russia protecting sl from fals accusation by using veto power! u can keep dreaming!

[deadleader1]

extremest=thalivarr?

humen rights? do bus bombers have rights?

[cricketLanka]

The 'Election Release'....

Sri Lankan Joking - legal - system is play politics. How could one expect Sri Lanka be fair on Huamn Rights and freedom of expression.

You can become a 'traitor' for talking truth and acting for truth. First of all the extremest should be eliminated from the power.