Namini Wijedasa, 1.11.2009
    
Moments after learning of Lasantha Wickrematunga’s daytime murder, one of my colleagues fervently combed through the intrepid editor’s last column to see what he might have written that got him killed.
“Do you think it is safe for me to continue my column?” he asked. “I am scared to criticise the government....” It was a predictable reaction. Independent journalists around the country— those not associated with or employed by state media— no longer know the parameters within which they are expected to write.

Full Story


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- The Academic

the link to the full story is some crap about lalith kotalawala and his golden key credit card company which kavan perera seems to have screwed up in style.... so where's the real link?


Try this

http://www.lakbimanews.lk/special/spe2.htm

Ohps.. This page was not refreshed, Press Ctrl and F5 key to refresh


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The King

In any country what will happen when popular media channel like MTV/MBC studios is burn and an investigative journalist like Lasantha is killed and some more of these happened? The people will rally around the unknown force to topple the rulers. This is natural and inevitable. This was tried and succeeded in the past and will happen now and future. Ceylonese forget soon or like to forget and forgive the wrong done by enemies even unknown, possibly due to influence of religion, the Buddhism.

In 1993 President Premadasa was assassinated by a suicide bomber. Didn’t the opposition blame the rulers, neutralists and patriotic blamed the LTTE.
In 1994 Presidential nominee Gamini Dissanayake was assassinated by a female suicide bomber. Didn’t the opposition blame the rulers, neutralists and patriotic blamed the LTTE.
In 1997 Princess Diana was chased by paparazzi and got killed. No one knows who did that, but the rulers got the blame.
And now an investigative journalist, Lasantha was chased by gunmen in motorcycles and assassinated. Then the opposition must blame the rulers, neutralists and Patriotic will blame the LTTE.

“Some of the potential consequences for the subjects of successful investigative journalism include:
•    indictment and conviction
•    loss of job
•    loss of professional accreditation
•    payment of fines
•    loss of personal and professional reputation
•    domino consequences for family members/associates involved in unrelated criminal acts discovered through the process of investigation
And consequences for society as a whole include:
•    revision of institutional policies
•    changes in the law”
How much of these were achieve is left to think by the readers.

I was told that MTV/MBC programs are running normal. Then what was the damage done? Is this not insured? What was the motive behind this? Can it be an inside job? I mean a force in ruling party but wanted to blame the rulers?

Sathya,

Interesting post. Generally, in a situation like this, I ask the question who benefits from this murder?
Until there is contradictory evidence, I tend to blame those who benefit from it most.

P.O.


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Do not start a war, unless it is already won...