transcurrents

Arson Attack On “The Sunday Leader” Printing Press In Ratmalana

November 21st, 2007

The Ratmalana printing press of the Leader Publications was attacked by arsonists early last morning, the second such attack in two years on the publishers of The Sunday Leader, Morning Leader and Irudina newspapers.

Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickramatunga termed the latest attack as a ‘commando style’ operation which took place within a high security zone in close proximity to the Ratmalana military and domestic airport.

According to the Mt. Lavinia Police around 10 armed men had forced their way into the printing press threatened the employees and set fire to some of the equipment and also the newspapers which were set to hit the market yesterday. The Morning Leader is published on Wednesdays.

The ‘Sudar Oli’ of Uthayan newspapers is also printed at the same location and burnt copies of the Tamil newspaper were also seen on the floor hours after the blaze.

Mount Lavinia Division SSP Edision Gunathileke said two police teams have been deployed to probe the attack.

Meanwhile eye witnesses said that four men scaled the walls of the printing press and forced open the gates letting in around 15 other masked men to carry out the attack.

Some 25 employees of the press who were on duty were forced to kneel down while the attackers poured petrol on the machines and some newspapers before setting them on fire.

A petrol bomb was also believed to have been hurled at the machinery. Witnesses also claimed that a jeep and a double cab were seen parked nearby at the time of the attack.

The Dehiwala and Mount Lavinia Municipal Council fire brigade units took around one hour to douse the flames. The Government Analyst was due to visit the scene of the attack to investigate the incident and furnish a report later today.

In October 2005 an armed gang broke into the same press in Ratmalana and set bundles of newspapers on fire. The gang also assaulted the publication’s manager and demanded that printing of the newspaper be stopped.

In May of that year, the editor wrote to the country’s police chief claiming his life was under threat after a pro-government lawmaker accused him publicly of supporting the LTTE. Mr. Wickrematunga was also attacked once and his house shot at in 1998.

Editors’ Guild condemns

The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka yesterday condemned “in the strongest manner possible,” the arson attack on the printing press of Leader Publications Pvt. Ltd., early Wednesday morning.

The statement goes on to say:

The fact that the publications of that Newspaper House viz., Irudina, The Sunday Leader, and the Morning Leader have been severe critics of the incumbent Government places a heavy burden on the administration to have ensured its safety. The natural inference that could be drawn from this attack is to the detriment of the Government, which is already under the microscope locally and internationally for the abuse of Human Rights, individual liberties, democratic rights and media freedom.

While appreciating the difficulties faced by the Government in combating terrorism, the Guild is firmly of the view that when democratic freedoms of the citizens, cherished for so long, are trampled by the jackboots of anarchical forces in the manner it was done in this instance, it will negate the very purpose for which terrorism is being squashed, i.e. to permit democracy to flourish.

Investigations into countless incidents of a similar nature, throughout the country in recent times, including the murder of journalists, have not yielded results, with the Government being unable or unwilling to bring the culprits to book.

The Guild believes that this brazen attack will add to Sri Lanka’s plunging record on Media Freedom should the Government decide to treat the incident as just another statistic.

Ranil holds Government responsible

Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday charged that the attack on the Leader Publications press was a blow to media freedom and democracy in the country.

In a statement, the Opposition Leader said: “The junta ruling the country today has delivered another deadly blow to democracy. Early this morning an armed group stormed the Sunday Leader and Irudina Newspaper press, setting one building on fire and severely damaging a number of printing machines.

“This press is located in a High Security Zone. The Ratmalana Airport, the Air Force base, the Kotelawala Defence Academy and an Army camp are also located in this area.

“There are road blocks at every entry point to this zone. Nobody can gain easy access to this zone. It would be extremely difficult to enter this area at night.

“A number of aircraft belonging to the Air Force are hangared at the Ratmalana airbase and tight security measures have been put in place to ensure their safety. So it is surprising that an armed group could gain entry to such a heavily fortified area.

“If any group is to enter this area, they can only do so with the knowledge the Defence Ministry. No one can enter this area without the knowledge of the Ministry.

“Security arrangements in this area are being implemented thoroughly. Hence the armed group had been dispatched there with the knowledge of the Government and the Defence Ministry to destroy the press.

“That is why I brand this regime as a junta. The Cabinet is not aware of these things. This junta has control over the economy, business activities and defence. They have unleashed corruption and terror on the country.

“The Sunday Leader and the Irudina spoke out against these activities. We see this as an attempt to close down these newspapers as they pose a threat to the junta. On previous occasions, too, these newspapers have come under threat.

“Today the media is being suppressed by the banning of newspapers and electronic media and by setting fire to printing presses. Media men too have been intimidated and have to work in a climate of fear.

“The most number of journalists killed have been from Sri Lanka. Many international media organizations have protested against this dangerous trend in Sri Lanka.

“The United National Party vehemently condemns threats against media freedom. We will commit ourselves to upholding media freedom.”

Government Orders Probe

Expressing its regrets over the arson attack on the Leader Publications press early last morning, the government said yesterday that an investigation had already been ordered into the crime.

Addressing the media at the government’s press briefing at the Information Department, Media Minister Lakshman Yapa Abeywardana said the government did not approve of this kind of attack on the media, irrespective of the quarters they come from.

“On hearing of the attacks, President Rajapaksa instructed the police to conduct an impartial inquiry and to bring the perpetrators to book as early as possible — despite the differences the government had with this group of papers,” Mr. Abeywardana said.

Asked by a journalist as to how an arson attack could be carried out in a high security zone without the knowledge of the security forces personnel, he said attacks on media establishments within high security zones had been carried out in the past too. He cited the recent attack on Yugaya Publications, where the official publication of the UNP democratic group, ‘Sirilaka’ was printed, as an example.

Press Institute condemns

The Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) ‘wholeheartedly’ condemns the destruction of the Printing Press of Leader Publications, publisher of the Sunday Leader, the Morning Leader and Irudina newspapers.

In a statement the SLPI said that “this is a dangerous situation where the government appears unable to enforce law and order. An attack on the free press is also an attack on the freedom of expression of the people of this country which is guaranteed by the constitution.” Demanding the government conduct a full and impartial inquiry into the incident and bring the perpetrators to justice, the SLPI called upon the government to ensure that incidents such as this and other attacks on journalists do not happen in the future.

According to available information an armed group entered the premises of the company and set fire to the press and some of the newspapers while the printing of the “Morning Leader” newspaper was in progress.

The SLPI sees this as a dastardly attack on an independent newspaper by armed groups and questions as to how such an attack could take place within a high security zone close to the capital of the country, it added.

Free Media Movement

The Free Media Movement which expressed outrage at the latest act against the freedom of the press in the island, said the authorities were responsible in that they were not able to protect the printing house of Leader Publications.

The Free Media Movement, while condemning the attack on the Leader Publications, said that today’s issue of Morning Leader print-run was on when the armed gang entered the premises.

The FMM, in a brief statement issued yesterday, referred to the dispute between Ms Sonali Samarasinghe, editor of The Morning Leader and the Asian Tribune website at the centre of a simmering controversy over its alleged relationship with the breakaway LTTE faction now headed by Pillayan.

“Recently, the Morning Leader editor had been very critical of Asia Tribune website, which according to the editor, was working hand in glove with the breakaway LTTE militant group now headed by Pillayan. She filed a civil defamation case against the website some weeks ago and in retaliation the website unleashed a series of articles attacking her,” the FMM said.

The Sunday leader printing press was set on fire on an earlier occasion on October 17, 2005 in the run up to the last presidential election.

The FMM said that Sunday Leader and its editor Lasantha Wickramatunga as well as Morning Leader Editor Sonali Samarasinghe have been harassed and threatened continuously during the last two years. All Leader publications are very critical of the government and are exponents of Opposition political views.”

The FMM blamed the government for not being able to protect the printing house. “The culture of impunity that prevails in this country has prevented any meaningful inquiry into all acts of violence against the media and journalists that has taken place under this government. The government has failed miserably to uphold and maintain the rule of law when the people’s democratic and human rights are violated. it said.”

Compiled from news reports filed by Sandun A Jayasekera,Senaka De Silva and Ananda Weerasuriya in the “Daily Mirror” and Norman Palihawadena in “The Island”.

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