CHALLENGING IMPUNITY FOR CRIMES AGAINST MEDIA IN SRI LANKA

Impunity has served as a license for continuing crimes and violence against media. Last month, five provincial journalists were assaulted in four districts across the country

- Ruki Fernando

Dozens of journalists have been killed, abducted or have disappeared in the past two decades in Sri Lanka, with 2005-2010 being the most dangerous. According to Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS), 44 journalists and media workers were killed or disappeared during this period. Disturbingly, there are hosts who have been arrested and detained, assaulted, threatened, intimidated and harassed. And media institutions have been subjected to arson, with one Tamil newspaper in the war-ravaged north and one Colombo based English weekend paper targeted repeatedly during and after the war. Such incidents have occurred under all recent administrations, with the Jayewardene/ Premadasa-led United National Party governments in the late 1980s and Rajapaksa family-led government between 2006-2014 being particularly bloody years for media.

Against this backdrop of repression, media freedom organizations, journalists’ unions, rights activists and others in Sri Lanka, along with their international allies, have campaigned relentlessly for justice. Commemorations are held, statements released, protests are carried out and more recently, online events and campaigns have been organized.

Last month, commemorations were held to remember a journalist killed 20 years ago, with no accountability to date. On the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, “Vikalpa” (Alternative), a Sri Lankan website, featured eight journalists killed, disappeared and assaulted, with no accountability for 3995 days to 7319 days.