The Editors Guild
The Editors’ Guild of Sri Lanka said it condemned the assassination of Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge in the severest possible terms and records its disgust at the trend in which media freedom, or what is left of it in Sri Lanka, is being trampled upon.
The statement added:
“This incident, coming in the wake of the arson attack on the MTV/MBC station early on Tuesday morning, clearly displays a complete disregard for Democracy and the Rule of Law.
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| Friday’s protest at Fort against the killing. Pic by M.A. Pushpa Kumara |
What we are witnessing is an ongoing campaign against the dissemination of information to the citizenry and democratic dissent. An adversarial relationship between any government and the media is good for governance and Lasantha epitomized this.
It is also the inalienable right of the people to be kept informed and to decide on the choice of media.
What is most disconcerting is that there is no real attempt to stop – or in the least- discourage this violent campaign that has been unleashed.
The finger, therefore, would point in the direction of the Government due to the inaction on its part to stem this slide into authoritarianism that the people of this country abhor.
The Guild calls upon the Government to investigate this despicable crime and expresses its sympathies to the family of Mr. Wickrematunge.”
Sri Lanka Press Institute
The Board of Directors of the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) expressed shock and horror over the murder of the Sunday Leader Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge.
The statement said:
“It is well known that the late Wickrematunga had an adversarial relationship with both the incumbent government as well as its predecessor. This killing has taken place just two days after the armed attack on the MTV/MBC television station at Depanama”, a news release said.
“Inaction over previous such incidents has created a public perception that both these attacks may have involved a State agency and it is incumbent on the President and the Government to dispel such suspicion by a thorough and meticulous investigation. No suspects have been arrested over recent attacks on media personalities including Keith Noyahr, Deputy Editor of the Nation, and Namal Perera of the Sri Lanka Press Institute,” it stressed.
The transparent investigation and speedy arrest of suspects is most essential in the interest of all concerned.
The Directors of the SLPI urge the Government to utilize all resources at its command to bring the killers to justice.
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