Sri Lankan authorities have withdrawn the visa granted to a Swiss reporter covering the island's fiercely fought presidential vote and asked her to leave the country within 48 hours.
Karin Wenger of Swiss Public Radio said she was sent a letter by the immigration controller saying she must leave the island before Monday and that her application for a media accreditation card had been denied.
She had already been issued with a media accreditation by the Sri Lankan government department of information and she said her journalist visa was valid until Feb 17. 'I fear I have been kicked out for asking uncomfortable questions at a government press conference,' Wenger, who is based in New Delhi, told AFP.
A government minister had publicly criticised her for grilling the authorities on allegations of irregularities at Tuesday's vote which was comfortably won by President Mahinda Rajapakse.
There was no immediate reaction from the government or the Swiss embassy in Colombo.
A letter sent to her from the Controller General of Immigration and Emigration, seen by AFP, stated: 'You are kindly informed to leave the country on or before 1 February 2010. Please note that you are not entitled to engage in any media activities in Sri Lanka during this period.
By Ranga Sirilal and Andrew Caballero-Reynolds - Sri Lankan police raided the office of losing presidential candidate General Sarath Fonseka on Friday, an aide said, two days after troops had surrounded him inside a hotel on suspicion he was plotting a coup.
"The police Special Task Force broke into the office of Sarath Fonseka," aide Asanka Mahagedara told Reuters.
A Reuters journalist saw police commandoes outside the location of Fonseka's office. A police spokesman could not immediately confirm if there had been a raid.
A group of officers attached to the Criminal Investigation Department (CID)has raided "Lanka Irida" news paper office short while ago. They have informed the newspaper staff that they need to record a statement from the Chief Editor of the paper, Chandana Sirimalwatte.
On Thursday (28), addressing a media conference in Colombo, the leader of the People's Liberation Front (JVP) stated that the Defence Secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa, who is also the brother of Prsident Mahinda Rajapaksa, has threatened him over the phone saying "I will set your Lanka newspaper on fire – be warned." Responding to the allegations, the Defence Secretary denied threatening the JVP leader but admitted that he made the call to 'clarify certain matters'. The latest incident comes in the aftermath of the above accusations.
"Lanka Irida", a newspaper close to the JVP, openly campaigned for President rajapaksa's rival candidate during the presidential election. Intending to create a state of fear and to silence dissenting views, the CID raided the "Lanka" office in last September and again later in October, the editor of the paper, Chandana Sirimalwatte, was arrested and questioned.
The office of the ‘Lanka e news’, a prominent news website operating from Sri Lanka, has been sealed off by the authorities, according to the journalists attached to the news site. When the journalists reported to work today (29.01.10), they have found out that the office has been sealed off.
The website, which maintained a highly critical editorial policy towards the ruling party during the recent presidential race, was targeted by the authorities soon after the results were announced. Prior to the latest incident the Lanka e News complained that the government has blocked their website on the Election Day (26), restricting readers residing in Sri Lanka from accessing the site. Two days before the elections, another regular contributor to the website, Prageeth Eknalogoda, went missing after leaving the website office and his whereabouts remains unknown. On Thursday (28), the website reported that a group of armed men who were believed to be members of a VIP security division, has arrived at the website office in a vehicle bearing the registration number 32-8432, around 8.00 p.m. The armed group has surrounded the office, but left the scene after realizing that there was no one inside.
The latest step to shut down Lanka e News website is a part of a systematic repressive campaign unleashed by the ruling UPFA government against journalists and media institutions, aimed at silencing opposing views and voices. The Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka appeals to the international governments, rights groups and concerned parties to take immediate action by exerting pressure on the Sri Lankan government demanding an immediate stop to repressive actions carried out against Lanka E News website and its journalists.
Make phone calls and send emails to:
The President of Sri Lanka - + 94 112447400/ email -president@presidentsoffice.lk
Secretary to the President - +94 112 2326309 / email - prsec@presidentsoffice.lk
Minister of Information Anura Yapa - + 94 0773 814470 (mobile) / +94 112596557 (Office)
Inspector General of Police Mahinda Balasuriya - +94 112 421750 / +94 773088400 email - igp@police.lk
Spokesman Mr. Nimal Madiwake (Senior Deputy Inspector General of Police) - +94 72 2248235
Anbarasan Ethirajan - The Sri Lankan defence secretary, Gotabaya Rajapaksa says that the government is considering taking action against the opposition presidential candidate and former army chief General Sarath Fonseka for allegedly divulging sensitive information to the public.
His comments came just a day after the incumbent Mahinda Rajapaksa was announced the winner of the presidential elections.
The defence secretary said he was angry with his former colleague in the army for speaking out in public.
He said General Fonseka was wrong to suggest in a newspaper interview that the defence secretary had ordered the killings of senior Tamil rebels as they tried to surrender in the final stages of the conflict last May.
General Fonseka later retracted his statement.
He said his words were taken out of context. But in his BBC interview, Mr Rajapaksa said the retraction was not enough.
"He had done many mistakes," said Mr. Rajapaksa.
"He accused me of saying that I gave wrong orders. It came out in the newspapers. So taking action later on we will follow the procedures."
The defence secretary said that Gen. Fonseka will not be arrested "because he was the opposition candidate."
LTTE key suspect 'arrested'
There's been no immediate response from General Fonseka, who maintains that he won the presidential election and that he will be appealing against the verdict.
In his interview, the defence secretary also said they'd arrested the second in command of the Tamil Tiger organisation's overseas operations.
He said the suspect, known as Rajan (alias Subramaniam Sivakumar) had been arrested in a south east asian nation and brought to Colombo on Thursday.
The information regarding the suspect, he said, came from the Tamil Tiger leader, Selvarasa Pathmanathan, who is under arrest in Colombo. Mr Pathmanathan was arrested last August.
A media employee attached to the state controlled TV broadcaster Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation has been assaulted by a person claimed to be a coordinator of Sri Lanka's president.
Ravi Abeywickrama, the Organizer of the Program Producers Union in the state TV corporation was reportedly assaulted by the official close to the president Mahinda Rajapaksa in the presence of corporation's chairman, Ariyarathna Athugala
Prior to the presidential election Ravi Abeywickrama signed a joint statement along with 60 other state media employees condemning the misuse of state media in favor of President Mahinda Rajapaksa's election campaign.
“The two state media organisations did not comply with the relevant regulations of the election. Although the two heads of those media houses assured the Competent Authority (CA) appointed by me that they would comply with the CA's guidelines, it simply did not happen forcing me to remove him,” said the Elections Commissioner Dayananda Dissanayake yesterday.
Addressing a media briefing last evening at the Elections Secretariat at Rajagiriya to announce that Mahinda Rajapaksa had been elected as the President of the country according to the provisions of the Constitution, the polls chief spoke of instances where several regional leaders had disturbed his staff; District Returning Officers being unable to take control; several Deputy Elections Commissioners coming under verbal abuse; election officials of one polling station being chased out, etc.
“Of the 22 candidates who contested the presidential election that was held on the 26th of January 2010, President Mahinda Rajapaksa has secured 6,015,934 votes. This is more than half, more than 50 per cent of the votes cast at the election and according to the provisions of the Constitution, he has been elected as the President of the country,” said the polls chief.
“We note now several regional leaders of political parties have been disturbing us. They came into polling centres with their supporters and disturb our officers. This is not a good precedent to go by.
“I do not think that this is something that is motivated by the hierarchy of these parties. This is something that is done by these elements out of their own choice. There have been several instances where my Distinct Retuning Officers were unable to take control of such situations. At the same time several of my deputy elections commissioners have had to face severe inconveniences and have even come under severe verbal abuse.
“There was also one instance where election officials were chased out of the polling centre. I take this opportunity to state that these acts are very disappointing. This election was conducted according to the provision set out in the 17th Amendment to the Constitution.
“One thing I noticed during this election is that the two state media organisations did not pay much attention to comply with the relevant regulations of this election. Therefore, I was forced to appoint a competent authority for this purpose but these two institutions did not pay any attention to his recommendations.
“I would like say that the heads these two institutions met with the Competent Authority and had promised to comply with his recommendations. However, I would like to say that the heads of these two institutions met wit the Competent Authority and had promised to comply with his recommendations.
“We believed that they would act accordingly but this did not happen. Therefore I was forced to cancel this appointment and treat it as something that would not work and had to continue with my duties.
“Furthermore on several instances, I observed how many public sector institutions were acting without having identified what they should and should not be doing.
“I was also forced to face several hardships and inconveniences during this election. I was to retire in 2002 but I am still here. Although I had to work with much mental pressure, I was able to successfully carry out my responsibilities to the letter.
“I earnestly request to be removed from this position and I feel that it would not be right for me to continue in this office after this election. I cannot function under these conditions. They are not conducive for my health. If something were to happen to me, it is only I who has to deal with it and so therefore, I have no indention of continuing under these circumstances,” said the Elections Commissioner.
Although the Army allowed General Sarath Fonseka, who contested the last Presidential Elections as the Common Opposition Candidate to go home from Hotel Cinnamon Lakeside, we reliably inform the readers that he is being kept under an unofficial House Arrest.
His house on Queens Road, Colombo 03 is encircled by soldiers of the Special Task Force and Gajaba Regiment of the Army, a reliable source informed Lanka News Web.
A senior Government Minister informed us that the troops are kept near his private residence for his own security. Meanwhile, the Army troops who were assigned for General Fonseka’s security have been withdrawn from midnight yesterday.
“ I will set your Lanka newspaper on fire – be warned” were the words of Defence Secretary and brother of the President, Gotabaya Rajapakse to Somawansa Amarasinghe, leader of the JVP. The Defence Secretary made this call this morning to Mr Amarasinghe’s mobile phone. The conversation was witnessed by the JVP leader’s driver and members of the staff.
“ Around 9.21 am this morning, I received a call from the mobile no 077 – 3501626 which is the Defence Secretary’s number. He threatened me with death but I told him that one dies only once. He then asked me if I had not lived abroad and I said yes, I have but so have you. He next threatened to set Lanka newspaper press on fire.” Said Mr Amarasinghe at a press conference held in Pelawatte.
Answering questions raised by media, Mr Amarasinghe said that the phone number was recorded on his phone and that he answered the call leaving the speaker on in order to let the others who were with him to listen to the conversation.
A number of Sri Lankan web newspapers are blocked by Sri Lanka authorities in the run up to the presidential polls, a press freedom watchdog claims.
Lankaenews, Lankanewsweb, Infolanka and Sri Lanka Guardian websites were blocked in Sri Lanka hours before the results of the presidential elections announced, Paris based Reporters Without Borders (RSF) said in a statement.
Condemning the "imposition of additional restrictions" on online freedom of expression, the watchdog said such censorship reflects the government's "readiness to resort to manipulation."
"The free flow of news and information during an election offers one of the few guarantees against massive fraud. We urge the government to restore access to these sites as the electoral commission has requested," RSF said in a statement.
The Lankaenews has lodged a complaint with the elections commissioner against the government's blocking of the website.
The Commissioner has referred the complaint to Sri Lanka Telecom, the Internet Service Provider (ISP). Secretary to the President, Lalith Weerathunga, is the chairman of the SLT.
Meanwhile, the press freedom watchdog has raised concern over the political columnist and cartoonist for Lankaenews, Prageeth Eknaligoda, who went missing last Sunday.
'Same old game'
Mr. Eknaligoda has been campaigning for the candidacy of the main opposition candidate Gen Sarath Fonseka.
"Eknaligoda had just written a long piece comparing the two leading presidential candidates and expressing a preference for the opposition candidate," said the RSF.
The Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) accused the authorities of not taking steps to find the whereabouts of the missing journalist.
Its General Secretary, Lasantha Ruhunage, told BBC Sandeshaya that the government has resorted to the "same old game" of blaming the missing journalist of staging a disappearance drama.
"The role of a responsible government is to investigate any disappearance of a citizen, let alone a journalist, and prove that he is not missing" he said.
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