Seven Media Organizations condemn summoning of journalists to a military camp
(Lanka-e-News-18.Aug.2013, 4.00PM) We at the Seven Media Organizations are disturbed by the recent summoning of journalists by the Army to a military camp in Ganemulla, purportedly to obtain their statements over the Weliweriya incident, where security force went berserk, killing three civilians and wounding several dozen others. Summons signed by Major General N.J.C.Dias and delivered to several media organizations have instructed several of our media colleagues to be present at a military camp in order to obtain their statements by a military panel which is conducting an internal military investigation.
There is no gainsaying that the military has no legal authority to summon civilians and general public for a military inquiry. Nonetheless, the recent conduct by the military is further proof of the increasing militarization of the society.
We have reasons to believe the recent move is part of a witch-hunt. Journalists who had been critical of the military conduct and reported the mayhem in Weliweriya have been at the receiving end of threats issued by the defence officials recently.
We at the Seven Media Organizations, strongly demand that the government put an end to the unsavory methods that it has resorted to- including the recent summoning of media personnel- and initiate an independent investigation into the Weliweriya incident. In order to move ahead from the tragedy that befell in Weliweriya, it is important that the government owns up the killings committed by its security apparatus. A white wash of the incident or a witch-hunt of the critics of the government would not serve the interests of the public
Signed By
SL WJA - Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association
FMETU - Federation Of Media Employees Trade Unions
SLMMF - Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum
SLTJA - Sri Lanka Tamil Journalists Association
SAFMA - South Asia Free Media Association
FMM - Free Media Movement
MMD - Movement for Media democracy
(Lanka-e-News-18.Aug.2013, 4.00PM) We at the Seven Media Organizations are disturbed by the recent summoning of journalists by the Army to a military camp in Ganemulla, purportedly to obtain their statements over the Weliweriya incident, where security force went berserk, killing three civilians and wounding several dozen others. Summons signed by Major General N.J.C.Dias and delivered to several media organizations have instructed several of our media colleagues to be present at a military camp in order to obtain their statements by a military panel which is conducting an internal military investigation. There is no gainsaying that the military has no legal authority to summon civilians and general public for a military inquiry. Nonetheless, the recent conduct by the military is further proof of the increasing militarization of the society.
We have reasons to believe the recent move is part of a witch-hunt. Journalists who had been critical of the military conduct and reported the mayhem in Weliweriya have been at the receiving end of threats issued by the defence officials recently.
We at the Seven Media Organizations, strongly demand that the government put an end to the unsavory methods that it has resorted to- including the recent summoning of media personnel- and initiate an independent investigation into the Weliweriya incident. In order to move ahead from the tragedy that befell in Weliweriya, it is important that the government owns up the killings committed by its security apparatus. A white wash of the incident or a witch-hunt of the critics of the government would not serve the interests of the public
Signed By
SL WJA - Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association
FMETU - Federation Of Media Employees Trade Unions
SLMMF - Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum
SLTJA - Sri Lanka Tamil Journalists Association
SAFMA - South Asia Free Media Association
FMM - Free Media Movement
MMD - Movement for Media democracy
