Journalists demand public apology from ex-Navy Chief

 File photo of Hambantota incident on Dec 10, 2016

March 4, 2018, 11:38 pm

Provincial correspondents demand that former Navy Commander and current Chief of Defence Staff Admiral Ravindra Wijegunaratne apologise in public for assaulting a provincial journalist on Dec. 10, 2016 at Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa port in Hambantota.

President of the Provincial Journalists’ Association Kanchana Kumara Piyadasa says the former Navy Commander assaulted the provincial journalist of Hiru TV and Divania Newspaper Rashan Gunasekera in public while he was covering a workers’ protest and, therefore, the apology, too, should be tendered in public. "Now we hear that the Navy has written to the Supreme Court regretting the incident. Former Navy Commander abused the journalist in raw filth before assaulting him in public. We demand that an apology be made in public."

Attorney-at-Law Thishiya Weragoda, Counsel for victim Gunasekera said that the Navy had, in response to a fundamental rights violation petition filed by Gunasekera, submitted a letter to the Supreme Court regretting the incident.

The letter titled ‘Supreme Court Case No SC/FR/18/2017’ dated Feb 09, 2018 and signed by Rear Admiral M. M.V. B. Meddegoda, Secretary for Commander of the Navy reads: "Sri Lanka Navy unconditionally regrets the inconvenience caused to Mr Gunasekera Arachchi Patabendige Roshan Dilip Kumara of 6286, Pola Pahala, Dharmigama, Sooriyawewa at the Magampura Mahinda Rajapaksa port on 10th December 2016. The Sri Lanka Navy regrets the events transpired on the said date and further assures that appropriate action to sensitize all members of the Sri Lanka Navy on ensuring the safety of media personnel during media reporting of conflict situations."

Former Commissioner of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission Dr Prathiba Mahanamahewa has said the letter sent to the Supreme Court could not be considered an apology. "The assault took place in the public and a public apology, too, should be made if the victim be compensated. The letter sent to the Supreme Court more than one year after the incident is not an apology," Dr Mahanamahewa says.