Dying for the truth in Sri Lanka
By Colombo Telegraph –
From ABC;
While the Sinhalese majority in Sri Lanka appear willing to give up some democratic rights to the government that ended the civil war, others aren’t. And for those activists and members of the media getting the truth out can be a deadly business. Activists and reporters continue to disappear, and dissenting voices are silenced in a climate of fear and intimidation.
In a rare opportunity, correspondent Richard Lindell was recently granted a visa to Sri Lanka. There he saw first hand a government intent on intimidation and a population cowered into submission. That includes the country’s journalists. Richard Lindell spoke to Frederica Jantz [sic], the Editor of Sri Lanka’s ‘Sunday Leader.’
To listen click here;
To read more articles about Frederica Jansz click here
S J V Chelvanayakam / March 27, 2012
According to her allher life she has been working under intimidation.. So much so she continues her work.. Here is another person trying to get on the HR bandwagon now.. as she has been left out..
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Raja Hevawasam / March 27, 2012
Don’t through mad, talk the facts. “left out”???
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S J V Chelvanayakam / March 27, 2012
enlighten us or me with the FACTS pls..
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Opatha - Ragama / March 27, 2012
Excellent interview Frederica! well done!
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Kamalika Rathnayaka / March 27, 2012
Great stuff! Still we have courages people living in Sri Lanka. Thank you lady.
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L de Silva / March 27, 2012
Why don’t you just shove your BS somewhere else!!
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Peter Casie Chetty / March 28, 2012
She is a lying two timing idiot. Her boss was killed by the man she supported after his death hoping that he would win. If she is being intimidated then she should name the people who are involved. She is a disgrace to the school she went to in Nugegoda.
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Kotahene ari / March 28, 2012
Chetty, do you know about Wesley College abuse case, where you went?? Please comment !!!
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GG Ponnambalam / April 26, 2012
Thmbi. What by the way is your real name? tell will you?
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Anti-B.S / April 23, 2012
Peter Casie Chetty:
Flaky Pandankarayss like you keep trying to earn a living writing drivel of this kind for your masters.
I am sure they pay well. In any event, they are the only people who’ll pay the likes of you, Max Silva and the (very poor quality) Chocolate Soldier for anything.
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Anti-B.S / April 26, 2012
Peter Casie Chetty:
Your “handlers” should be able to tell you that, unlike you, I DON’T get paid!
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Jim Hardy / March 28, 2012
Though I dislike Fredrika , Her comments were truthful.
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Max Silva / March 28, 2012
Jim,
You say that her comments are truthful,but you don’t like her.Similarly you accept that my comments are truthful(Myself being an independent analyst),but still you don’t like me.Truth is bitter,eh!
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FAYA / April 21, 2012
hey guys follow this max moron’s comments.. so funny… lol… shameless racist. this sick man never understand anything… hahahaha… your being a comedian of this page… i’m a great fan of this stupid racist… ado max moron can i follow you in twitter?
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Rohan / April 21, 2012
Styrong objections from me… This kind of comments would drive MAx (and the likes) out of this place. That will cut down the humour rating of this place. Please do not keep telling this. There is a remote chance that MAX would understand the meaning of these comments and would leave this place.
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seruvila senarath / April 22, 2012
EVERYBODY KNOWS HOW INDEPENDENT ANALYST YOU ARE?
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Anti-B.S / April 23, 2012
Max Silva:
We’ve now heard it all: calling yourself an ANALYST! Please check the closest Thesaurus because “analyst” and “boot-licker for the government are NOT synonyms.
Speaking of “truth” has it, any time recently, bitten you in the … so you could, perhaps, recognize it?
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raymond / March 29, 2012
I like Frederica because of her looks!
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Dick Perera / April 2, 2012
A respected journalist will,without fear or favour , state facts ,without
slanting the way ,he or she, decides . They should provide all the information possible to the readers , to enable the latter to make a decision . This is where most journalists fail and as a result ,people are not helped to come to a fair conclusion . Thus a journalist is judged
by the facts presented to them in an unslanted, unprejudiced manner.The
readers are not concerned with the views of the journalist , but require factual information to form an opinion . How few of them are around in our own country and abroad , as well . That is the tragedy we all face
today !!!
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Prasana / April 21, 2012
True, but your iresponibility resulted in the imprisonment of our war veteran (the man who could have put a stop to many of this) and the suffering of the masses
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Lasantha Pethiyagoda / April 21, 2012
One characteristic of a mature democracy is the right to profess independent thought, speech and opinion. That is why democratic governments have an opposition in parliament, in order to balance the power of the ruling party and keep them in line. The opposition also represents all the people who might have voted (ie nearly half the voting population)for an alternative government.
When public dissent is voiced, responsible and accountable governments listen and consider the merits of such opposition. They do not intimidate, harass or use invective in suppressing criticism. Such are the virtues of mature, decent people who must lead by example, where respect comes not through fear but by genuine admiration for the achievements made towards the welfare and upliftment of the grateful public.
The media must ensure that any criticism of any party is made responsibly and with facts as evidence. They must not collude with any party in misleading the public or depriving them of facts or accurate information, regardless of whether it is politically expedient or not.
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Anti-B.S / April 23, 2012
Lasantha Pethiyagoda:
Thank you for bringing this discussion back to where it should be.
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DAS / April 21, 2012
Frederica ia brave woman and a giant among journalists. As she says,”someone has to do the job” of fighting against injustice.
But this government and its head are all powerful due to a constitution empowered by self serving parliamentarians who crossed over.
The first setback to this totalitarian regime was the UN resolution.
The continuing abductions make sri lanka the most lawless nation.
Any dissent is crushed by the military and police and they are thus given free reign for impunity.
GLPeiris highlights the interval of many hours between the time of abductions and the time when these were reported to the police,as “proof” of lack of credibility.He appears to have never been to a police station to observe what goes on and the difficulty the citizens have,in lodging a complaint..The legal fraternity is unwilling to appear for arrested persons to advice them before and during interrogation.If this is possible, torture and deaths in custody can be averted.
When will we see Rule of Law and implementation of Human Rights?
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Krishna de Silva / April 23, 2012
Before I comment about Fredrica Janz interview, I must like to ask Peter Casie Chetty to learn the correct facts about Lasnatha’s murder and who killed him. There is a good article written by a former Army Officer and a Barrister explaining every thing about this murder published in the SLG. It is a know fact among many in the services that the murder was ordered by Mahinda R and executed by Gotabaya R using Air Force men working for him as the place they chooses to kill Lasantha was near the Rathmanalan Air Force base.Sunday Leader was attacked from the inception by many who was against their support to LTTE, as Lasantha openly supported the LTTE Terror gang. FJ is a liar and what ever she tells hear are lies. Her best lie was to say that the first time she heard about the white Flag issue was when General Fonseka told her about it on 8th December 2009, but on Feb 26th 2012 her paper ‘Sunday Leader’ carried a news item with a Head Line about the White Flag Fiasco. ” PRESIDENT SAID USE WHITE FLAGS -NAMBIAR” This news item and the other few news items appeared in Sri lankan papers proves that Marie Calvin (late) and Bushcombe were the two foreign Journalist who reported about the White Flag Fiasco on 20th May 2009 and 24th May 2009 respectively. Bushcombe reported from Colombo and Marie reported from London. FJ is a liar and try to cover up her mistakes by telling the BBC reporter about the media freedom. Media freedom in Sri Lanka is not available now as Rajapaksa brothers has purchased most papers and TV stations including the Sunday Leader. During the White Flag case FJ told lie after lie and today she is trying to prove that she is a saint. We need good and honest reporters to report about all atrocities committed by the Rajapaksa regime,or any other regime and about the White Van abductions by Gotabaya using Army and other Intelligence persons, but do we have any honest Journalist in Sri Lanka today. Every one try to save their own skins as FJ did with the White Flag case, by trying to save a two year jail sentences for breaching a court order, and she told lies while on BAIL and two judges supported her as they were bias.
People in Sri Lanka are very subdued and afraid to report any criminal activities as Police will not record them and if even they record them a White Van will follow them to completely annihilate them. Two brother MR and GR trying to prove that they annihilated the LTTE, is in a very bad pitch when it comes to stopping these white vans. If they had the powers and the logistics to stop the LTTE Terror gang why they hesitate to stop the white Vans, unless they operate them.
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silva / April 23, 2012
She helped Rajapakse government to put General Fonseka to jail.
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DAS / April 26, 2012
Why did two judges in the White Flag case beleive her? They are not fools.
Now it has been ruled that Courts Martial have the same status in the justice system as the normal courts.Does this rule operate in any other country?
Will an army general become chief justice? Army generals are ambassaders already.
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Ralf Sheldrake / April 24, 2012
….Journalism has evolved to be an important profession as other previously recognized professions….. So it is time that Journalists be Certified by Recognized Chartered Institutes and abide by an Oath to comply to Internationally accepted standards of performance….. if not we are the losers in this so called democratic set up….
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French citizen / April 24, 2012
Another good interview by Frederica
Frederica is doing a courageous and wonderful job with a lot of risk.
But her association with few so called diaspora………… makes her unpopular and they manipulate her.
Fredreica should not listen to Tom, Dick and Harry who are using her to achive their task.
Frederica do not know the friends and enemies of these manipulators.
They brain wash Frederica to achieve their goal.
It will take some time for Frederica to understand the truth, to realise, how far she was manipulated by these insects.
If Frederica is not very cautious of these manipulators, they will ruin her career.
All are not friends who………………
Good luck and best wishes to Fredrica
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Rubert Vanderkoon / April 25, 2012
“..Fredreica should not listen to Tom, Dick and Harry ..” What about Charlie, Willie and Margaret? She is a journalist, she has to listen to all Toms and Dickies,all things bright and beautiful and dull and ugly. Listening is one thing but journalists have to be resonsible, she has some criticism but still an OK journalist. You make it sound like she is a tiny tot. she is not!
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GG Ponnambalam / April 26, 2012
Va te faire foutre salope de Francais!
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Muheed Jeeran / April 24, 2012
Well done! Old Italian Sayings “Once the game is over, the king and the pawn go back in the same box.” Very unfortunately Sri Lanka politicians don’t understand this quote!!
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David / April 26, 2012
Rubert Vanderkoon, we fell sorry for your ignorance!
Yes, Frederica is not a tiny tot or dot or pot! We know that.
“Listening is one thing but journalists have to be resonsible,”
IS THAT SO? Is it the case in practice? Then why Sarath Fonseka is sentence for another 3 years.
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Thilainathan / April 26, 2012
You make it sound like she is a tiny tot. she is not!
This “Tiny tot” business was once refered to WIMAL WEERAWANSA by an unpopular journalist who has problem with intellectuals, academics and professionals. Is it inferiority complex?
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randy mathew / April 26, 2012
While I welcome the independent journalism in SL , I doubt whether it will make any difference. We now have a bunch of village godaya thugs whose only interest is to feather their nests while trampling on the rights of the voters of all communities. This disgraceful people do not come from a good family and are a curse to SL.
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GG Ponnambalam / April 26, 2012
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy
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Thilainathan / April 27, 2012
Rubert Vanderkoon = FJ = UK = she is not a tiny tot.
Well done.
GOD has not created only one person with brain!
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Bodinayaka / April 28, 2012
GOD has not created only one person with brain. I want to know whom I’m dealing here? That’s because I’m new here. Are you guys using your parents PC?
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abdulaziz / August 10, 2012
A courageous journalist indeed. Fighting for justice and rights
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