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NEW DELHI: The International Federation of Journalists has
described the reported action by the Sri Lankan government
in sealing the bank accounts of Sinhala language weekly Mawbima
as part of a "concerted effort to silence critical
voices".
According to the Free Media Movement (FMM), the freezing
of the accounts of publisher Standard Newspaper Private Limited
on 13 March was a culmination of the increasing pressure from
the government under which the newspaper Mawbima had
been functioning.
“This is a blatant violation of press freedom and seems
to be part of a methodical approach by the Sri Lankan government
to intimidate independent media into submission,” said
Christopher Warren, the president of the IFJ, the organisation
representing more than 500,000 journalists in over 115 countries.
The IFJ urged the Sri Lankan government to cease these intimidation
tactics, unfreeze the bank accounts, follow due legal process
in the case of a director of the newspaper, Dushyanatha Basnayake,
and allow him adequate defence in a court of law, and to release
female journalist Munusamy Parameshawary, who has now been
in TID custody for 111 days without charge.
The FMM reports that bank accounts of all other business
establishments partly or fully owned by the Standard Newspaper
Private Limited group owner Tiran Allas, have also been sealed.
On 24 November, 2006, 23-year old Parameshawary was detained,
and has been held by the Terrorist Investigation Division
(TID) without charge for more than 100 days. Two months later
on February 24, the government attacked Mawbima and
its owner Tiran Allas in a live television broadcast for criticising
government policies, and two days later TID officers arrested
Basnayake.
“According to all reports, Mawbima stood firm
against these intimidation tactics and did not change its
editorial policy, now the government has abused its power
to shut Mawbima down completely,” Warren said.
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