Sunday 22 April 2012
By Ranga Jayasuriya
Lakshman Hulugalle, the director general of the Media Centre for National Security says abductions have been happening throughout the past, but they have now been highlighted by the media. He says 95 per cent of vans in Sri Lanka are white – and that the government does not abduct people in ‘white vans.’ Excerpts:
Do you admit there is a phenomenon of abductions in this country? There had been a spree of abductions recently...
Yes, there had been incidents of abductions. But that is nothing new. There had been abductions in the past. But, recently there had been a lot of publicity. What I feel is crime, accidents and abductions have been happening for the past fifty- sixty years. But through the media, these incidents have now come to the public domain with much publicity. In the last two decades there had been much publicity for the war and now there is peace. There should be some sort of news and I think it is one reason that these incidents (abductions) have been highlighted today.
Are you saying that those reports of abductions are concocted by the media?
No. It is not made up by the media, there had been abductions in the past but there are allegations now... certain people have been pin pointed (for complicity). Those allegations have been created by the media.
Yes, there had been incidents of abductions. But that is nothing new. There had been abductions in the past. But, recently there had been a lot of publicity. What I feel is crime, accidents and abductions have been happening for the past fifty- sixty years. But through the media, these incidents have now come to the public domain with much publicity. In the last two decades there had been much publicity for the war and now there is peace. There should be some sort of news and I think it is one reason that these incidents (abductions) have been highlighted today.
Are you saying that those reports of abductions are concocted by the media?
No. It is not made up by the media, there had been abductions in the past but there are allegations now... certain people have been pin pointed (for complicity). Those allegations have been created by the media.
