-Written by the Circle of Investigative Journalists (IJC)
(Lanka-e-News -17.Jan.2025, 10.45 PM) The Minister of Health and Media, Dr. Nalinda Jayatissa, recently issued a press release pledging justice for journalists who were victims of media suppression under past regimes. However, reports claiming to cite this statement include inaccurate statistical data about media suppression. A note written by a journalist from the Circle of Investigative Journalists a decade ago provides accurate data, highlighting the need for updated investigations into crimes committed during previous regimes against the press.
We urge fair action from Mahinda Rajapaksa’s media outlets. As journalists, we fought for justice long before the January 8, 2015, presidential election. The battle against Rajapaksa’s oppressive regime was one fought for media freedom and the public’s right to know.
This backdrop of continued suppression reflects the Rajapaksa administration’s military apparatus and its oppressive grip on media outlets and journalists. They unleashed violence and crimes while fostering a culture of impunity for perpetrators.
During this period, media institutions were burned, journalists were assassinated, and corrupt political figures were shielded by those masquerading as journalists. This betrayal of the profession fills us with indignation.
It is ironic that after losing the election on January 8, Mahinda Rajapaksa returned to request justice from the very media institutions he once suppressed.
Journalists Killed: 47
Incidents of Assault: 45
Forced Disappearances: 5
Arrests: 20
Attacks on Media Institutions: 9
Additionally, the Uthayan newspaper in Jaffna alone faced over 30 attacks and acts of arson. The bombing of Sirasa Media Network using a Claymore mine, a weapon typically used in guerilla warfare, was a particularly heinous crime.
No investigations were carried out over the 10 years from 2005 to 2015. The perpetrators remain unidentified, and no legal actions have been taken. Instead, the government targeted investigative journalists by breaking into their homes, detaining them, or interrogating them about their sources. Surveillance, wiretapping, and harassment continued relentlessly.
The fate of abducted journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda remains unknown to this day. Sivaram’s mutilated body was found abandoned on a roadside. Lasantha Wickrematunge, in a high-security zone, was bludgeoned to death using a specialized weapon. Investigative journalist Sampath Lakmal Silva was lured to his death under the pretense of breaking news and was shot. Many Northern journalists were murdered, and their bodies were dumped into wells.
2004: 3
2005: 7
2006: 8
2007: 12
2008: 6
2009: 11
Other statistics include:
Disappearances: 1
Abductions: 5 (with up to 40 suspected additional cases pending verification)
1 January 2007 Lanka Press arson.
21 November 2007 Leader Press arson.
27 December 2007 Attack on Rupavahini workers.
6 January 2009 Claymore bomb detonation in Sirasa Media.
23 February 2009 Attack on Max Institute.
24 March 2009 Bomb attack on Uthayan office.
30 June 2010 Siyatha TV arson.
30 January 2011 Lanka-e-News office arson.
10 April 2013 Uthayan Press arson.
This is the reality of the crimes committed against Sri Lanka's media community during the Rajapaksa administration, marking 2005–2015 as the darkest period in the nation’s media history.
(Note: This record was documented on July 24, 2015, by a journalist representing the Circle of Investigative Journalists. Data sources include national and international media organizations, human rights groups, and reports from journalists worldwide.)
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by (2025-01-17 17:27:47)
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