Murder by daylight – attempt to stifle the ‘right to know’

Marking the first death anniversary of the veteran fearless journalist Lasantha Wickramatunge, the ‘Reporters Without Border’ (RSF) in a communiqué by Vincent Brossel, Asia-Pacific Desk, RSF indicated that Lasantha’s brother, Lal Wickramatunge mentioned to RSF as “A year has gone by without any progress in the investigation into the murder of Lasantha Wickramatunge.”

It indicated that Lal Wickramatunge has replace late Lasantha Wickramatunge at the helm of the investigative weekly – The Sunday Leader where some of its journalists are still threatened.

RSF indicated that Lasantha Wickramatunge editorially wrote “When finally I am killed, it will be the government that kills me,” Lasantha Wickrematunge that was published after his death. RSF in its communiqué indicated that known for his revelations and criticism of the government, he was called a “terrorist journalist” by President Mahinda Rajapaksa, while the president’s brother, defence minister Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, used the courts in a bid to silence him and tried to smear his reputation in foreign press interviews after his death.

Reporters Without Borders said “The emotion and anger have not gone away in the year since this famous Sri Lankan journalist’s death and the anger is being sustained by the government’s flagrant obstruction of the investigation. Lasantha Wickrematunge’s name and memory will not disappear and, in that sense, those who were behind his murder made a mistake.

The communiqué indicated that even if these criminals continue to feel sufficiently protected that they can threaten the Sunday Leader’s new editor in messages written in the same red ink, RSF are confident that one day they will be punished.

The press freedom organisation added: “We urge the various candidates for the 26 January presidential election to pledge to shed light on this murder and on the other serious press freedom violations that have taken place in recent years and to punish the perpetrators and instigators severely. Some candidates are promising the truth. We hope this is not just words.”

It indicated that Lal Wickrematunge told Reporters Without Borders: that after a 10-month investigation, the case was transferred to the criminal investigation department but since then they have not taken any serious statements. They called him (Lal Wickramatunge) once, but not again. The examination of the case before the courts has been postponed 24 times. Each time, the police say they don’t have enough evidence. And the only eye witness has been missing for months.

Lasantha’s widow, Sonali Samarasinghe Wickrematunge, herself a journalist and lawyer who has sought refugee abroad, said in an email to Reporters Without Borders: “One year later, no progress has been made (...) Accusations are being hurled in a desperate attempt to exploit the issue for political gain.”

RSF indicated that. Lasantha was attacked by four gunmen on motorcycles as he was driving to work on 8 January 2009. He was taken unconscious to a hospital where he died from his head injuries.

- Asian Tribune -