Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe yesterday warned that certain print media were in an attempt to revive communal disharmony in the country and said he would gather the masses and run an ‘Occupy’ strategy against such media institutions if they fail to stop publishing content that seeks to revive racial hatred.
“Several print media institutions including many Sinhala newspapers are attempting to revive communal disharmony and spread racism in the minds of the public. These were henchmen of Mahinda Rajapaksa who became media institution heads while also holding positions of the Rajapaksa regime,” he said speaking at an event yesterday.
He added that there is no need to conceal names and said they should be declared publicly.
“Look at Anura Solomons, he was a presidential advisor but is also the Editor of Divaina. Look at the Rivira owners, we will launch an inquiry into them. . . Look at Irudina! These papers are owned by Rajapaksa henchmen who made money during the previous regime and then bought over these newspapers.”
He said these Editors helped former President Rajapaksa suppress journalists who bore views against the former government.
“They helped Rajapaksas suppress the media and were trying to create a public opinion about a Western conspiracy out to get MR. They even tried to destroy me for ten years and oust me from politics. . . Their latest attempt is to campaign for Mahinda’s Prime Ministerial candidature. I wish to tell them, you can promote MR and work for me but please dont revive racism,” he added.
He also said that some of the print media institution owners also own stakes in the stock market and said if they continue to publish content that incites racial hatred, steps will be taken to remove them from the stock market.
“Such individuals should not be in media or in business,” the PM said.
He went on to state that they are ready to answer such media personnel if they turn a deaf ear to his call to halt publications that seek to revive or create communal disharmony.
Mr. Wickramasinghe also asked them to respect media freedom,apologize from the journalists and said these individuals did not engage in journalism but were the ‘lavatory cleaners of the Rajapaksas’.
Speaking further he said that he will summon the heads of all media institutions, media rights activists and human rights activists and hold a discussion and warn them against attempts to revive communal disharmony.
Benjamin Bakalakakul / February 25, 2015
Take Ranil Wickremesinghe’s name out of
the remarks attributed to him and
repace with Mahinda Rajapaksa. There is
LITTLE DIFFERENCE.
One was a dictator with a people’s mandate.
Other wants to become a dictator after
coming through the back door.Shame on
him.
He and his ministers are only feathering
their nests. Rajapaksa looked after John
Ameratunga. Now the latter is looking after
them by asking Police to go slow. Ranil
knows and endorses such actions.
/
Michael Peiris / February 25, 2015
Ranil is talking about Anura Solomons being
an advisor to Rajapaksa and at the same time
serving as Editor of the Divaina.
What is wrong in that. The owner of the
Divaina was Chairman of Sri Lanka Telecom
under Rajapaksa regime. When this owner
Nimal Welgama had to leave the post to
make way for President’s brother, Ranil
wanted him to continue in office.
So, this is simply selective targeting. Read
what Mahindapala had to say on this.
Ranil is rapidly losing whatever public respect
he had. He is not there on people’s power. He
became Prime Minister under fortuitous
circumstances.
The only thing he has done so far is pack all
government positions with old Royalists including
his young admirers. Its not a government but a Boy’s
Club
/
Point of View / February 25, 2015
RW is appointed PM on people peower.
It was clearly stated by MS that RW will be appointed PM soon after he takes oath. People voted for the 100 day program.
/
Hameed / February 25, 2015
As usual the ‘expert’ commentators above have missed the wood for the trees. Instead of commenting on what RW had said they chose to attack him personally in an exercise that’s called character assassination.
Please take a note of what you ‘DON’T see in the newspapers, he had mentioned and you will get what he means.
It’s true Sunday Leader, The Nation Rivira and of course Divaina were either bought over by the Rajapaksa loyalists with funds provided by MR, The Divaina and The Island don’t have to be bought over. They are inclined towards racism from their very inception.
Hameed
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Senaka De Silva / February 26, 2015
Lake House news papers your family own -your government rumpet (in other word it is a washing dirty cloths of your respective government in other words it is a Loundry ),Rupavahini ,ITN they are doing same thing.Daily Mirror,Lankadeepa your uncle’s property.Son is state minister of Defence.Now your are blaming other News papers not to publish any thing against the my government.Yahapalanaya?Batalnda? Wijedasa Liyanachchi…………………
we know who you are?We cannot expect any good governce from you.Proxy P.M.of Sri Lanka.MAHINDA,AND YOU ARE BELONGS TO SAME GROUP.WAIT AND SEE ……….
Senaka
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ambalangodaya / February 26, 2015
likewise sirasa media continues to give disproportionate supportive coverage to the inane rantings of sajith premadas and also to others of the anti ranil group like senasinghe, lakthilaka and rosy, obviously due to another agenda.
whose lavortaries are they cleaning , dear ranil?
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R.M.B Senanayake / February 27, 2015
Yes Ranil is right to call a spade a spade- nothing to cal it interference with media freedom. Media freedom must be exercise with a sense of responsibility. It is not permissible for a media to slander and individual falsely. Similarly there are other ethical norms that a media must comply with. It is not socially acceptable to create animosity against a minority- religious or ethnic. But I think Ranil should introduce a law against the incitement of hatred against communities. India has passed such a law and it is very necessary in Sri Lanka for each time a resolution o the ethnic conflict was mooted by liberal political leaders like Ranil or previously SWRD, Dudley Senanayake etc the racists stirred up communal conflict as it was in 1958, 1977, 1983 etc. All these campaigns stirring up hatred against minorities goes unchecked due to the lack of a provision in our criminal law which curbs hate speech although there is a provision in our Penal Code which could be used if the authorities are so inclined. But it is better to introduce a specific law. Now that there is to be a Freedom of Information Act why not include provisions regulating the publication of news or comments in the media to ban incitement to disaffection. A clear prohibition by a law of hate speech which stirs up hatred against ethnic or religious minorities is essential since the defeated regime which won a majority of the votes of electorates dominated by Sinhala Buddhists have shown an inclination to revive such a campaign.
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Plato. / February 28, 2015
Spot on Mr.Senanayake!
Some of these Editors seem to think that they should continue in the same style of the Mahavamsa.
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Correction MR / February 28, 2015
Anyone who is against racism can not survive in Sri Lankan Politics especially never can remain as a PM or President,
There is quiet a large size of racists in many countries , but it plays a larger role in Asian Politics , you need to let somethings be as it is , mindsets do not change with education or traveling the world around ,or even living in western countries , we just need to bear with it and may be future generation may slowly wear out of it ,at-least let us hope so .
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Michael Peiris / March 1, 2015
R.M.B. Senanayake and his hurrah boys seem to be
missing the wood from the trees.
There is no question that racism should be abhorred
from whichever quarter it emanates.
The question here is how Sri Lanka Prime Minister
Ranil Wickremesinghe invoked to himself the right to pass judgement
on the media. I grant every citizen that right but Mr Wickremesinghe
comes from a family that introduced the media culture
to Sri Lanka. Therefore he should know better.
There are laws in Sri Lanka where the journalist or anyone
else could be dealt with for promoting or provoking racism or hate. If
that is not enough, they should amend the law and make more
tougher punitive provisions.
And such provisions should be applied against the publishers.
It is they who will rein in the errant journalists. It is they who pays them.
How can you simply call names on these paid hirelings when the
Publishers are responsible. It is NO rpt NO secret that publishers
will not allow any journalist to run a newspaper according to
their whims and fancy.
Why then is Ranil hitting at Sisira Paranatantri and Anura Solomons? There
may be many others similar. What about those adopting resolutions in the
north accusing the military of genocide. Are they not provoking racisim
in the south? Something is rotten in Mr Wickremesinghe’s statements.
He should first win a mandate from the people before he comes out
with such irresponsible name calling. This is not good yahapalanaya.
It is Wickremesinghe dictatorship. He is venting his frustrations of
long years in the opposition.
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Fiat Justicia / March 2, 2015
Before talking about the media, why doesn’t Ranil Wickremesinghe
first control his ministers.
Today’s newspapers have reported Wijayada Raajapaksha, the
justice Minister defending Avant Garde Security and saying
they have done nothing wrong. It was late last week media
said the passport of Nissanka Senadipathi, the Avant Garde
owner was refused by the Magistrate’s Court.
Raajapaksha has demonstrated to the entire country that he is
involved with Avant Garde. Otherwise why defend them when there
is a CID investigation and the Court has issued an order that
his passport will not be given back this time. This Jaraapaksha
is even saying Deputy Minister Ruwan Wijawardana also supporting
Avant Garde.
Anura Kumara Dissanayake the JVP president has disclosed that a
public official from Attorney General Department has said Wijedasa
and Tilak Marapana PC (advisor to anti corruption committee and counsel
for Senadipathi) influenced him to give the passport on the first
occasion. Dissanayake has said the official had said so at a meeting
chaired by Prime Minister Wickramasinghe. Who is this official?
Wijeyadasa Raajapaksha is caught with his pants down. You can NEVER
NEVER NEVER EVER fight corruption with the UNP in power. They are
there to make money. Ranil will not care. Men who are questionable
like John Ameratunga and Wijeyadasa are ministers? What is wrong with
Ranil?
What has happen to President Maithripala’s promise to get rid of ministers
who are corrupt? He is silent now?
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Michael Peiris / March 2, 2015
How true. Ranil has made sure only his
own political enemies went to jail and
not crooks.
Here are two examples – Palitha
Thervarapperuma and Tissa Attanayake.
Not even kudu king Duminda Silva. His
brother give RW more time on Hiru TV.
Rajapaksa saved RW and made him UNP
leader for life. Now Wickremesinghe
is paying back.
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Benjamin Bakalakakul / March 5, 2015
How funny Fiat Justicia. On Wednesday
Ranil Wickramasinghe said no one
should comment on Avant Garde case.
Same day media is reporting Leader
of House Lakshman Kiriell telling
Parliament that all is well with
Avant Gard and Rakna lanka.
Looks like RW’s boys are trying to
make a bagful in 100 days. This is
the same thing that took Mahinda
Rajapaksa ten years to do. They will
do it in 100 days.
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