TAMILNET has reported on the ensuing crisis following the cancellation of the speech due to be given at the Oxford Union by the Sri Lankan president, Rajapakse.
Cabinet spokesman and Media Minister Keheliya Rambukwella, in a media interview conducted in Sinhala, has pointed to the ‘weakness and inability of the British government to correctly evaluate the situation,’ and added that ‘neither the Thames Valley Police nor the British government could get away from the blame for their failure to give adequate security to President Rajapakse and to his entourage by saying it was a personal trip.’
The Minister said the LTTE had been listed as a terrorist organisation in that country and all activities carried out by the LTTE and its sympathisers had been banned, the Daily Mirror reported.
‘Sri Lanka’s President Rajapakse accepted the invitation as the President of Sri Lanka and it is the responsibility of the British government to afford adequate security fit for a head of state.
‘It has not done that. The Thames Valley Police and the Oxford Union have also failed to assess the situation and succumbed to the pressure exerted by some 400 odd LTTE sympathisers,’ the Daily Mirror said quoting Rambukwella.
Noting that the LTTE is a proscribed ‘terrorist’ organisation, the Minister said that ‘therefore, it is not only wrong but against the law that the British Police and the Oxford Union failed to go ahead with the programme that included President Rajapakse’s speech.
‘It is hilarious and surprising to think that this happened in a so-called five-star democracy. The Oxford University is a highly respected and world renowned seat of education. The incident is a scar on the Oxford Union and the British government,’ Rambukwella told the reporters.
Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan parliament on Wednesday evening adopted a motion to extend the State of Emergency for another month by a majority of 130 votes.
145 parliamentarians of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) and its constituent parties voted for the motion.
Fifteen parliamentarians from the main opposition United National Party (UNP), Tamil National Alliance (TNA) and Democratic National Alliance (DNA) voted against the motion.
Sri Lanka’s Prime Minister, D.M. Jayaratne, moved the motion seeking the approval of the House to extend the motion. The opposition whip Mr John Ameratunga opened the debate on behalf of the opposition.
The debate of the motion was taken up along with the debate on the Defence Ministry budget allocation.
The House passed the allocation of the Defence Ministry for the year 2011 by a majority of 133 votes.
145 parliamentarians of the ruling UPFA and its constituents voted in support and 12 voted against.
The State of Emergency is being extended every month by the approval of the parliament since 5th August 2005.
l Free Media Movement (FMM), a Colombo-based media watchdog, in a press release issued this Thursday, condemned the attack on two journalists by a ‘group of BIA (Bandaranaike International Airport) employees, allegedly under (Sri Lanka) government orders while covering an attack on Dr Wickremabahu Karunaratne, leader of the New Left Front, and his supporters.
FMM described the attack as a serious threat to media freedom in Sri Lanka.
The FMM statement said that ‘The Free Media Movement (FMM) unequivocally condemns the 7 December 2010 attack on journalists at the Bandaranaike International Airport (BIA) and views it as yet another serious blow to media freedom and the democratic right to impartial reporting.
‘Sri Lanka journalist Shantha Wijesuriya and Sirasa TV airport correspondent Premalal were attacked by a group of persons purported to be BIA employees. Wijesuriya suffered serious injuries and had to seek treatment at a hospital.
‘According to reports, the journalists were assaulted by a group of BIA employees, allegedly under government orders, while covering an attack on Dr Wickremabahu Karunaratne, leader of the New Left Front, and his supporters.
‘Dr Karunaratne was returning from a visit to the United Kingdom where he delivered several lectures. His speeches were earlier criticised by ruling party members as “traitorous”.
‘In a democracy, opposition politicians have the same right as pro-government politicians to express their opinions and ideas.
‘Assaulting someone for the political ideology he upholds is a hallmark of a tyrannical regime. Dr Karunaratne and his supporters were assaulted for their political stance.
‘The FMM, while deeming the attack on Dr Karunaratne, at no less a place than a State-run establishment like the international airport, a serious violation of his rights, believes the attack on the two journalists covering the incident to be a well co-ordinated action aimed at ensuring the media remain silent.
‘The initial attack on the journalists took place in a high security area of the airport with the police looking on.
‘The assailants later followed the journalists’ van as they were attempting to leave and renewed their attack with iron rods and clubs, injuring the journalists and causing extensive damage to the vehicle.
‘The assailants also seized the journalists’ cameras.
‘FMM believes that the systematic manner in which the attack was carried out is part of a well-planned attempt at preventing journalists from reporting the attack on Dr Karunaratne and his supporters.
‘The incident highlights the serious threat to media freedom in Sri Lanka – on the right to express and report dissenting views as well the right of Sri Lankan citizens to enjoy impartial reporting. It also shows that the government, rather than promoting media freedom, is endorsing its suppression by assisting and condoning attacks on journalists.
‘FMM calls on all citizens who treasure the freedoms that democracy provides to rise against the injustice.’
l The Sri Lanka’s Supreme Court on Monday put off its determination for Thursday about the legality of the Court Martial under the Article 89D (d) of the Constitution on the Writ Application filed by the former Commander of the Sri Lanka Army Sarath Fonseka filed in the Court of Appeal.
The Court of Appeal sought a determination from the Supreme Court in this regard sequel to a Writ Application filed by the petitioner Fonseka seeking it to issue an interim order enabling him to sit and vote in the parliament and to exercise his powers and privileges and immunities as a member of parliament, legal sources in Colombo said.
Fonseka was convicted by a Court Martial and sentenced to 36 months rigorous imprisonment in a case in which he was charged for some irregularities in tender procedures in procuring arms while he was the Commander of the Sri Lanka Army.
The prison sentence was later reduced to thirty months by Sri Lanka’s President Mahinda Rajapakse.
The petitioner has challenged in his writ application that the Court Martial is not a ‘court” referred to in Article 89(d) of the Constitution.
The Court of Appeal requested the Supreme Court to determine on the question on whether the words ‘any court’ referred to in Article 89(d) of the Constitution refer to the Supreme Court, Court of Appeal and the other Courts of first instance, to the exclusion of tribunals and institutions or whether the words ‘any court’ included a Court Martial.
The Supreme Court earlier decided to announce its determination on the question on Wednesday but later it was put off for Thursday as the Chief Justice Asoka de Silva, heading the five member bench, could not attend the proceedings since he had to attend another state event.
Fonseka has alleged that the Sri Lankan state leadership gave the order for the LTTE leadership to be shot down as they surrendered under a white flag. as had been previously agreed.
