Senior Editor Dilrukshi Quits Tiran Alles Ceylon Today, Complains Of Editorial Censorship
July 8, 2014
Senior journalist Dilrukshi Handunetti who until recently served as senior assistant editor of Tiran Alles’ Ceylon Today newspaper has resigned in protest of the company’s editorial policies and censorship Colombo Telegraph can now reveal.
Dilrukshi
Ms Handunetti who was overlooked recently by the management for the editorship of the newspaper has complained that censorship had become severe at the Ceylon Today in recent times.
During her absence from the country Handunetti’s junior Jayantha Nissanka who was the paper deputy editor was appointed Editor of Ceylon Today after Hana Ibrahim the previous editor was ‘kicked upstairs’ as Editor in Chief and no longer controls the newspaper editorial policy.
Interestingly Ms Handunetti was instrumental in writing a editorial accusing former Ceylon Today Editor in Chief Lalith Alahakone of fabricating stories about his sacking by Alles in a two page article that attempted to destroy the credibility of at least five other reporters who also left the paper in protest of Alahakone’s treatment. Despite Ibrahim announcing to the Ceylon Today editorial that the Alles Management had let Alahakone go four days later her own editorial claimed that the senior editor had in fact not been sacked.
Handunetti was re recruited by Chairman Alles after Lalith Alahakone’s sacking after Ibrahim convinced the politician and businessman that Handunetti had been unable to work for the senior editor since he was discriminating against her.
Together with Ibrahim as Colombo Telegraph has extensively written Handunetti spearheaded the campaign to prevent media activist groups from reacting or condemning Alahakone’s treatment by Alles two years ago a clear case of hindering a chief editor’s editorial independence.
Handunetti was awarded Journalist of the Year at the Editors Guild awards for her reporting in Ceylon Today last year.
Journo Rajpal Wanted Behind Bars, Questioned Over Shady Rriot Death Toll
July 8, 2014
Al-Jazeera correspondent for Sri Lanka, Dinouk Colombage was grilled by the Criminal Investigation Division (CID) yesterday, just weeks after Rajapaksa state-owned newspaper Editor, Rajpal Abeynayake called for his arrest.
Dinouk Colombage
Colombage’s lawyers have stated that the CID has interrogated him concerning the reports he filed to Al-Jazeera and a Twitter update he had posted on the ground situation in Aluthgama and Beruwala following the anti-Muslim clashes.
He had been questioned regarding his news sources and had been extensively grilled over how he got the number of deaths as well as other sensitive details included in his coverage. The interrogation had lasted for three hours and Colombage had even been questioned about his association with Al- Jazeera.
It has also been reported that his lawyers were not permitted to witness the questioning.
Police Spokesman SSP Ajith Rohana has stated he was questioned by the CID due to contradictions in the number of deaths that was reported by Colombage and the official numbers released by the government.
This interrogation also occurs following a tweet put up by Media Ministry Secretary Charitha Herath, who condoned the recent ruling on the three Al-Jazeera journalists, which was recorded by Colombo Telegraph before he took it off.
In the aftermath of the anti-Muslim clashes that erupted in Southern Sri Lanka on June 15 and 16, several Muslim politicians have pointed out that the number of deaths has been downplayed; the official government reports claim it is only three/ But Colombage’s repors and tweets stated that it was seven and it has been confirmed by several other politicians including Azath Salley.
