Comments on: J.S. Tissainayagam: Terror Suspect or Prisoner of Conscience?

By: Ruwan Ranasinghe

Ruwan Ranasinghe — Thu, 03 Apr 2008 01:26:40 +0000

The author does not seem to know much about torture. Waterboarding is not a “modern” technique at all; it was used by the Americans during several wars, and a very similar technique was also used by the Spanish during the Inquisition. Secondly, I find it annoying when people the criticize the USA for torture. The American military does not utilize brutal torture. If foreign POWs need to be severely interrogated, they are sent to such places as the Middle East and Pakistan and tortured by Middle Easterners and Pakistanis, not Americans. Waterboarding is itself an extremely mild form of “torture”; as the author of the article himself admits, there are no physical scars. Other forms of “torture” used in places like Guantanamo Bay include sleep deprivation and loud music. These are a joke compared to the well-known practices used in SL; e.g. helicopter treatment, cutting with razor blades, stuffing chilli powder in the detainees nostrils, rape, beatings with S-Lon pipes, etc. There is a reason why Amnesty International is allowed access to Guantanamo Bay, while no journalists are allowed into the conflict zones of SL without permission of the Defence Ministry.

By: somebody,who wants to live alive for some time

somebody,who wants to live alive for some time — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 18:45:58 +0000

Mr.Ameen Izzadeen, just to correct some facts in your article. the police first came not to the press but to the website office.they took Mr.Vettivel Jasiharan (refered in your article as a tamil nationalist wrirer) from the website office and not from the press. The press and the web site office are not in the same building. they are adjoinedbuildings of different assesment numbers and owned by two different people. it is not owned by jasiharan and jasiharan hired this buildings for rent.

one can agree with you that the police has every right to question him. but who can question the TID and CID and even Police who raid homes and business places in civil with no identification and abduct (note-no arrest) people?
is it not terrorism?

They are not only abducting people who involve in politics,journalism,but who have money intheir hand!

now tamils in srilanka.having a political stand are the only ones targetted.people have money or beleived to be having money also targetted!

By: Shanthi

Shanthi — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 11:07:54 +0000

Thanks Khaleej times for your concern about our journalists, especially like Tissa. We as Sri Lankas rely very heavily on dedicated journalists as it is a job comes with death threat because journalists are trying to put the evil-doers out of business by exposing them. It is only the international journalist community who can bring pressure on the SL regime to bear some sense of responsibilty. Hope more will follow your lead in defending the defenceless journlists from threats of all sides.

By: M.thiru

M.thiru — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 04:45:34 +0000

The arrest is to remind other journalists and human rights activists, you go along with Mahinda Chinthanya and his brothers’ and Fonseka’s or else you very well remember what happened to unarmed unprotected Nirmalarajan & Sivaram.

Either you are with us or against us or else flee the country and live in US, Canada, EU or Australia.

We have created Democratic euphoria in the eastern province by similar acts. We made Mano Ganesan to leave the country to maintain democracy in the Colombo distirct.

We want to bring back 1956 Nirvana to whole of Srilanka through Mahinda Chinthanya and rejoice if any one standing in our way will face the same plight. Even India, US, Canada, EU & other countries are going to adapt Mahinda Chinthanya for their woos in the near futre.

By: aratai

aratai — Tue, 01 Apr 2008 18:47:01 +0000

He was arrested to see How much guts the other journalists have?