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IFJ criticises Colombo move to reintroduce defamation laws

B. Muralidhar Reddy

COLOMBO: The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) on Thursday took serious exception to the reported intention of the Mahinda Rajapaksa Government to reintroduce criminal defamation laws and said such a move would be a another “terrible setback” for press freedom in Sri Lanka.

The IFJ was reacting to reports in the local media as well as on basis of information provided by its affiliate in Sri Lanka, Free Media Movement (FMM) that an emergency Cabinet paper, backed by the President, on the reintroduction of criminal defamation was submitted to a Cabinet meeting on June 27. “The paper is reportedly on hold as three Ministers opposed bringing back the laws”, it said.

In a statement, IFJ Asia-Pacific director Jacqueline Park said his organisation is appalled by reports that the Sri Lankan Government intends to re-introduce the law. “The IFJ is firmly opposed to criminal defamation laws, which are so often abused by those in power to silence journalists and stifle dissent.

“Re-introducing criminal defamation laws would be another terrible setback for the press freedom situation in Sri Lanka which is already suffering from human rights abuses against journalists and unfair censorship,” Mr. Park said. The IFJ, along with several other international press bodies, including the South Asia Media Commission, has just returned to Sri Lanka as part of the International Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression Mission, where it was dismayed to find that editorial pressures and threats to journalists have worsened.

“This [the latest proposal] is another damning blow against a Government who has virtually done nothing to protect the lives and freedom of journalists in Sri Lanka,” Mr. Park said.

He noted that prior to this, criminal defamation was used extensively to silence reportage and suppress investigative journalism on corruption and independent media institutions. Mr. Park said that a few months before the repeal of defamation laws, five lawsuits were filed against Victor Ivan, editor of the Ravaya newspaper in the High Court of Colombo. Four other mainstream newspaper editors were facing defamation charges during the same period. “The IFJ implores the Govern ment to retract this proposal from Cabinet, and make good on its promises to commit to press freedom”, Mr. Park said.

In a statement, the Asian Human Rights Commission (AHRC) slammed Sri Lanka Attorney General C.R. De Silva for his comments on the two public statements made by the International Independent Group of Eminent Persons (IIGEP) headed by Justice P. N. Bhagwati.

The IIGEP had pointed out some serious shortcomings in the manner in which the Presidential Commission of Inquiry to Investigate and Inquiry into Alleged Serious Violations of Human Rights is being conducted.

The AHRC said, “To anyone familiar with the conduct of the investigation by the Presidential Commission, the nature of the AG’s department in Sri Lanka and the general collapse of the rule of law in the country, it will appear that the two statements made by the IIGEP are, in fact, understatements.

An officer and a soldier were killed in a claymore mine blast triggered by suspected Tiger cadres. Fighter jets pounded two LTTE “military establishments” in Vavuniya District in the morning.

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