Parliament

Sivaram's death resurrects tolerance for dissent
By Chandani Kirinde, Our Lobby Correspondent
"I disagree with what you say, but I will defend to my death your right to say it," were the words of Voltaire that UNP Kalutara district MP Rajitha Senaratna quoted when Parliament on Friday held a day long debate brought on by the shocking killing of journalist Dharmaretnam Sivaram. Although such sentiments expressed by MPs from all political parties resonated through the august assembly, unfortunately their appeals for more tolerance in society for dissent came too late for Mr. Sivaram, the popular journalist who wrote his newspaper columns under the non de plume Taraki.

The journalist's killing took the centre-stage in Parliament last week -- an eventful week during which parliament also passed several important bills, including the National Disaster Management Bill and the Code of Criminal Procedure (Special Provisions) Bill.

Adding more colour and drama were not only President Chandrika Kumaratunga, who paid a visit to Parliament on Thursday to unveil a portrait of her mother Sirimavo Bandaranaike -- the world's first woman Prime Minister, but also the JVP.

Hot on the heels of the portrait-unveiling ceremony which was attended by MPs from all political parties and members of the diplomatic corps, the four JVP Ministers called a news conference to explain why they walked out of the Cabinet meeting the previous night when President Kumaratunga presented a cabinet paper for the restructuring of the Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB).

It was Minister Anura Kumara Dissanayake who spoke, explaining why they walked out. But the journalists were more interested in knowing the JVP's next move. But there was no clear response to this question.

Cabinet conflicts and other issues apart, it was the murder of journalist Sivaram that dominated the House proceedings. On Wednesday, TNA Parliamentary Group Leader R. Sampanthan asked for a two-hour debate on the murder of Sivaram, but the Government said the business of the House for the day had already been agreed upon and suggested that a debate be taken on another day not only to discuss the Sivaram killing but also the killings of other journalists since the ceasefire agreement was signed three years ago. Indicating it had nothing to hide, the government said even a whole day could be set aside for the debate. And it took place on Friday.

Opening the debate, Mr. Sampanthan called on the Government to appoint an international commission of inquiry into the killing of Mr. Sivaram, saying that the investigations conducted so far do not inspire confidence. "The motive of the killing was to silence Mr. Sivaram's pen and had fascist orientation," Mr. Sampanthan said warning that if this trend of slaying journalists continued, democracy would soon be dead in the country.

He said the impunity with which the killing was carried out showed that those who were responsible for the crime were convinced that the long arm of the law would not touch them. Various theories surfaced during the debate on who was behind the murder and it also became a time to apportion blame on each other for the killings of several media personnel such as Richard De Soysa, Thevis Guruge and M. Nimalarajan.

Constitutional Affairs Minister D.E.W. Gunasekera who opened the debate on behalf of the Government said he did not agree on the need to appointment an international commission. He said no such commissions were appointed even when the country's President, a leader of the opposition and many other leading politicians were killed but added this crime needed to be fully investigated and the culprits brought to justice as soon as possible.

He said it is not possible to look at Mr. Sivaram's killing in isolation without looking at the bigger picture and find a solution to the ethnic problem in the country if no more such killings were to take place. Accusing the politicians and the local media personnel of being "unprofessional", Mr. Gunasekara said the media freedom must go hand in hand with responsibility.

Tolerance for opposing views was the core of the speech made by UNP Colombo district parliamentarian Bandula Gunawardena. Pointing out that freedom of speech was guaranteed to all citizens under the Constitution, he said: "We have to learn to respect the views of the people who are opposed to us."

JVP Parliamentary Group Leader Wimal Weerawansa, who, at a public meeting a few days before the killing of Sivaram, accused the columnist of being an LTTE terrorist, had his own theory on whodunit. He questioned why Mr. Sivaram's close associates who were with him when he was abducted did not report the matter to the Police immediately.

He charged that some journalists (naming some) had conspired to pin the blame on the JVP as soon as the abduction took place and that they had proceeded to do so that the next morning via programmes aired over two private television stations even before the Police could do any investigations into the matter.

"It is obvious this was done to discredit the Government and particularly the JVP. The aid group meeting is coming up soon and the world press freedom day was also around the corer. Only a crazy government would resort to this kind of action at a time like this even if it wanted to carry out such a crime," he said.

Mr. Weerawansa said although the JVP did not agree with Mr. Sivaram's views, there was a need for such views for society to be vibrant. He said unfortunately much stifling of the freedom of expression was taking place in the Tamil media. "We can use Mr. Sivaram's death as an example and come out of the dark tunnel and see the light and learn to become more tolerant of varying opinions," he said.

UNP Kalutara district MP Rajitha Senaratna criticised efforts by some people to brand Mr. Sivaram a Tiger. "He wrote many articles against the LTTE as well and he even published a book based on these writings. Those who call him a Tiger have obviously not read them," he said.

He said the Government must take responsibility for the killing irrespective of who did it and fully investigate it. "We must stop this cycle of killings and make Mr. Sivaram's the last such killing," he said.

Minister Douglas Devananda said the LTTE was now shedding crocodile tears over Mr. Sivaram's killing when the group had at one time branded him a traitor. "The LTTE wanted to use Mr. Sivarams' body for political reasons. He said the LTTE had no moral right to talk about press freedom when it did not allow newspapers in the north and east to carry views opposing the Tigers. "If the Tamil people are to progress, the right to freedom of expression has to be preserved at all costs," he said.

Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera said there was no need to internationalize the matter but said a full and impartial investigation would be held and if there were any lapses in that, international help could be sought.

Public Security and Law and Order Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake who wound up the debate said some new evidence had emerged into the journalist's killing and there was also useful information that emerged during the debate.

He assured that justice would be done and the culprits brought to justice
On Wednesday, the TNA staged a march from the main Parliament gate up to the doors of the legislature, carrying posters bearing the picture of Mr. Sivaram with the worlds "No more killings" and later walked up to the table of Speaker W.J.M. Lokubandara with the posters in hand calling for an impartial investigation into his death.

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