media freedom, mr. president? - 15th march 2008
do the continued attacks on the staff of the state television channel, rupavahini and absence of any action by the powers that be on the perpetrator, burnish the statement as reported in the press today, that sri lanka has “untrammeled media freedom”? on my planet, the fact that the authorities choose not to act in the continued intimidation, harassment and unbridled attacks on the staff of the state tv channel that dared to take a stand against thuggery and injustice, means that the said powers are supportive of such actions. and, by any stretch of the imagination, these actions or lack of them, are not indicative of a free media. on the contrary, they are indicative of a political culture of suppression, corruption and total disrespect of individual rights. it begs the question why the authorities fear to act. untrammeled is uncomfortably close to trammeled.
rupavahini’s reactions to a certain minister's trespassing of their premises, which preceded the current set of reprisals on it’s staff, are but a first step in action by the people for the people. i cannot say that i have ever been a fan of the channel, which has always been a conduit for the government of the day’s propaganda. however, any worm can turn and what a turn it has been! for those of us who enjoyed and applauded the spectacle of rough justice being metered out to an individual symbolic of what sri lanka is slipping into, there rests an implied responsibility to protect such reactions. like the staff of rupavahini, it is time for people to stand up and be heard.
nothing lasts forever, and all of this will pass. what is necessary (apart from taking a stand) is that it must be made clear that strong action, even if it is to be in the future, will be taken against those who choose to disrespect the people of our beloved nation. our leaders must pledge to throw the proverbial book at the miscreants and their ilk including their ill gotten assets. with no apology to the politicians, this must also be the pledge of the international community.
rupavahini’s reactions to a certain minister's trespassing of their premises, which preceded the current set of reprisals on it’s staff, are but a first step in action by the people for the people. i cannot say that i have ever been a fan of the channel, which has always been a conduit for the government of the day’s propaganda. however, any worm can turn and what a turn it has been! for those of us who enjoyed and applauded the spectacle of rough justice being metered out to an individual symbolic of what sri lanka is slipping into, there rests an implied responsibility to protect such reactions. like the staff of rupavahini, it is time for people to stand up and be heard.
nothing lasts forever, and all of this will pass. what is necessary (apart from taking a stand) is that it must be made clear that strong action, even if it is to be in the future, will be taken against those who choose to disrespect the people of our beloved nation. our leaders must pledge to throw the proverbial book at the miscreants and their ilk including their ill gotten assets. with no apology to the politicians, this must also be the pledge of the international community.
one final thought, someone once said that the problem with political jokes is that they get elected.
posted by the scribe at 5:47 PM
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