Despite the pledges made by President Maithripala Sirisena during his campaign to protect and strengthen media freedom in the country, it seems his administration has now backtracked on the promise and is seeking to further throttle transparency and freedom of the media.
Rajitha
Following the issue, which emerged due to the contradictory statements made by the Defence Ministry Secretary BMUD Basnayake on the legality of the floating armoury raided last week and the comment made by Finance Minister Ravi Karunanayake concerning an account that was operated by former Defence Ministry Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa, the government has made a decision to control the channels through which the media obtains information.
This was initially announced by Cabinet Spokesman Rajitha Senaratne during a media briefing, when he announced that a decision has been made to ensure that all public sector officials strictly follow the Establishment code and that no comments/information should be released to the media without obtaining prior written approval of the relevant Ministry Secretary.
Ironically, it was the comment issued by the Defence Ministry Secretary that resulted in this decision.
While Minister Karunanayake announced to media that the account opened by Gotabaya to deposit MoD funds was illegal as the monies should have been deposited in the consolidated fund in the Treasury, Basnayake told media that it was in fact operated by the Ministry within legal parameters, contradicting the stance maintained by the new government.
Meanwhile, it has been reported in the Sunday Times political column today that the Ministers of the new government have decided that Public Administration Minister Karu Jayasuriya should issue instructions to Ministry Secretaries stating that they should ‘strictly follow the rules and regulations under the Establishment Code in issuing Press Releases by State Officials.’
Maghribi / January 25, 2015
Information sensitive to national security will have to be protected for the purpose of prosecution of those who have violated the constitution. Press freedom is not absolute, however the citizens gave a right to know those who have broken the law.
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Javi. / January 25, 2015
..after 30 years yet sifted because of national security My foot.!
If one is just what security are you claiming??
Look at the Swiss from its timeless timepieces.
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Rev.Devil / January 26, 2015
Javi S…Priya… When Mussolini sent Jam packed goods trains with Jewish People for slaughter in the 1940s through St.Gallen to Germany from Milano….The so called timeless Swiss were …even heartless to be deaf and blind to the cry of women and children for a cup of water…
The same Swiss didn’t ask Gaddhafi the source of income ,when he deposited more than 4 billion US Dollars in Swiss banks…but when the present Libiyan Government inquired about the same amount and requested the swiss to return the money…then the timeless Swiss asked for proofs for the matter..!!
Good to see your gratitude to the Geneva Authorities for treating you well…even Berlin should also be priceless for you as your INSD comrade white washing you anywhere and everywhere you go !!?
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Javi. / January 26, 2015
who said they have not stored Hitlers Gold to start with.
money the root cause of all good and they are in the driving seat with several cultures and several languages in harmony while you fight like the four legged.
Its good to be different like a rag doll.
King, are you glad you are king?
Fall leaves after leaves fall.
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Javi. / January 26, 2015
Rev Devil,
BTW Bush is unable to go over only to Swiss which he always did and has a skiing holiday home. Go ask him why and how it happened.
Presently under anti-terrorist law they are obliged to disclose accounts which they do.
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Javi. / January 26, 2015
Ghetto man, engineering projects of Hindia have had longstanding links with gaddafi and saddam and I have been involved in most of those civil projects. We know the Bedouins inside out. Both tried to destroy the US$ as currency franca (the US holds patent rights for black gold) Gaddafi produced $50 billion in biscuit yellow gold to do away with plastic moneda.
French President of Hungarian Aristocracy (heard about the Huns and Hannibal) took his trump knowing Cameron’s temperament and the hung parliament (when the Bedouin threw the UN constitution angering the west) using the same Allah worshipers now educated and living in the west to do him but did not expect the pipe at which Hillary just smiled. Then came the worse like `hole in one` ghetto fatty VP murdering Rajiv which the scum bag regretted after journalist jackass Bala expired (for which the 40,000 civilians paid and more to come). Hillary resigned a tired and insulted woman never to contest again. Is Libya free or can they run the oil wells?? No to both even though they are western educated (no one can teach one has to learn). You should understand travel observing all the time and only then it is 50% till you touch and taste- this is where I have been lucky and persevering all on my own funding simply curious likes a monkey- who says only westerners are the only student bag packers??just ghetto boys say that. I am aware that real estate Canada presently is not that great because shelving and present price of oil don’t go together. It takes long to be young old boy- all you patriots butchers thou shall not kill.
If JT’s shoot their foot which they invariably do when foreign sec would be Jaishanker in Sept talking all this caste crap you are finished for good- take care journalist. Everybody wants Sheila, Hindia jai mata jai.
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Amarasiri / January 25, 2015
CT,
RE: Maithri Administration Gags Media Freedom
Responsible Media freedom Vs, Irresponsible Media Freedom,
Fact , Truth Vs,. Hearsay?
Is the Sun going around the Earth, or the Earth going Around the Sun and rotates on its own axis?
https://twitter.com/search?q=Rajapaksa%20Maladives&src=typd
Maldives Today @MaldivesToday1 Jan 10
Foreign Minister Maldives refute claims about Gotabaya Rajapaksa to have ‘fled’ to the Maldives http://bit.ly/1I6YAZI #Maldives #SriLanka
Sri lanka Mujahedin @s_mujahedin Jan 10
Gotabhaya Rajapaksa Fled the Country By Escaping into Maldives
Shiran Sideek @SH1RAN Jan 10
“Male refute claims about Gota ‘fled’ to the Maldives http://bit.ly/1I6YAZI #Maldives #SriLanka” @Dinoukc @adaderana via @MaldivesToday1
Erik Solheim follows
Devirupa Mitra @DevirupaM Jan 9
#Maldives govt compelled to clarify no “key figures” of Rajapaksa govt fled to its territory
(rumors were abt Gota
Devirupa Mitra @DevirupaM Jan 9
#Maldives govt compelled to clarify no “key figures” of Rajapaksa govt fled to its territory
https://pbs.twimg.com/media/B6-D11TCEAAua9m.jpg:large
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Javi. / January 25, 2015
“”Maldives govt compelled to clarify no “key figures” of Rajapaksa govt fled to its territory”
Very strong possibility with 1000’s of Islands and the President of Maldives having said that they want to buy a honmeland to passa familial because the land is being submerged.
Holland is below sea level- the art of waterproofing and living life la vida but they are all muslims from south india who just buy and sell.
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Javi. / January 26, 2015
remember the missing jet and the radar non detecting chip fitted to the tail that vainshed – near Diego Garcia with 8 kilometre of fuel to go.
The 3 Chinese engineers never got the `Chip`.- another Malacca straits and Bin lardens tainted knickers hiding.
Jim Reeves Distant Drums – original demo
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6t1fQzTOdO4
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Palmsquirrell / January 26, 2015
This is unrelated to the article but since you mentioned Maldives wanting to buy a homeland, I want to add that Sri Lanka should insist that Maldivians can only emigrate to SL if they allow non Muslim Sri Lankans to attain citizenship in Maldives and live there now.
Current Maldives law does not allow non Muslims to get citizenship but they will demand they be given refuge in Sri Lanka if and when rising waters submerge Maldives.
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Javi. / January 26, 2015
Muslims have always had their way because of the love story with the crusaders- known better than unknown. See how swiftly BBS was banned while yours took almost 30 years.
3 of them started from the same stone Jerusalem- break it and the world is at war they say. Its all their ball game for their convenience as and when necessary. Its stupids who are in their spider web that succumb. Modi riggled out of that one as soon as IIT became defence minister. The present foreign secretary is a total flop and sponsored by double agents RAW (her father director of RAW formerly Mr Singh) and NaMo does not want to move her till her term ends Sept.- leaves fall in Autumn. ;)
Feb is year of wooden female sheep something in for you? I like it because monkeys can ride it.
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Amarasiri / January 26, 2015
Javi.
“3 of them started from the same stone Jerusalem- break it and the world is at war they say. Its all their ball game for their convenience as and when necessary.”
Is there support for any of them?
Is the Sun going around the Earth, or the Earth going Around the Sun and rotates on its own axis?
There is more support for one of the above.
1 In 4 Americans Thinks The Sun Goes Around The Earth, Survey Says
http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2014/02/14/277058739/1-in-4-americans-think-the-sun-goes-around-the-earth-survey-says
The survey of 2,200 people in the United States was conducted by the NSF in 2012 and released on Friday at an annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Chicago.
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Javi. / January 27, 2015
Amarasiri,
you know conscription and remember Cassias Clay/Stings like a bee. In Spain it is obligatory for all aged 18 to undergo training; Franco died but politicians don’t let go certainly two items which take away civil liberties and common mans excess tax.
Everyone would be dragged just like JT’s dragging all tamills with or without consent. That is and has been the world of animals 4 /2 legged.
Or now spending 3 hours at airports because of Islamist and American war.
Health & Safety is big time business which carries its own virus and remedies.
Seen the size of protest at London to stop the Iraq war. But just Ed Miliband a not very popular leader of the opposition stop the security council and IC from carrying out air raids over Syria and he is a Jew who came with the WW!.
Honest man lefty Robin Cook resigned in protest and subsequently died but no one could fill his shoes from this generation; but they tried unsuccessfully because they sided with bLiar.
Its a very nasty world out here Yeh Hai Bombay Meri Jaan
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wYhgjeBJhfc
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Palmsquirrell / January 26, 2015
“National security” is a convenient excuse for government officials engaging in human rights violations and corruption to hide behind.
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Amarasiri / January 27, 2015
RE: aithri Administration Gags Media Freedom
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xrYcBDwskIs
(WW1) Declassified Secrets of World War 1
ublished on Apr 1, 2014
(WW1) Declassified Secrets of World War 1
!! PLEASE NOTE ALL THESE VIDEOS ARE UPLOADED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY, AND NO COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT IS INTENDED. IF YOU HAVE ANY PROBLEM WITH ANY OF THE VIDEOS, PLEASE CONTACT ME AND I WILL BE MORE THAN HAPPY TO REMOVE THE VIDEOS OR ACKNOWLEDGE THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER. THANK YOU
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Native Vedda / January 25, 2015
Ben Hurling
Hope you are still there.
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Ben Hurling / January 25, 2015
Native,
If you expect Yahapalaya Gang to deliver on this issue you must be day dreaming. It will only happen if people hold them accountable and force their hand. You cannot just leave it to a bunch of “politicians”.
Just look at the way Rupavahini & ITN are broadcasting News. Only difference is they are now pumping images of Yahapalanya Gang members. As opposed to corrupt Rajapassa cronies.
What we see is not balanced, critical news reporting. It is not responsible, quality public broadcasting either. It is truly embarrassing to watch. You can hardly call this Journalism.
I find this both disgusting and disgraceful.
Cheers!
PS: BTW, I am still waiting to know when Duminda Silva’s passport will be impounded. He must be busy working his extensive network within the corrupt UNP.
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j.muthu / January 26, 2015
Ben burner,
Do u think sinhala Buddhist learned any thing since 1948…….fools always fools…..
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Native Vedda / January 26, 2015
Ben Hurling
Please read this:
Wimal Among the Accused
By Nirmala Kannangara
Among the list of names of Ministers and MPs in the former regime accused of bribery or corruption, former Housing and Construction Minister Wimal Weerawansa’s name is in the forefront.
Weerawansa whose sole income when he was a member in the JVP was the earnings he got from running a communication center at Mawaramandiya in Kadawatha. However from the time he extended his support to the Rajapaksa administration in 2008, Weerawansa became a millionaire from unknown source of income claims Kaduwela Mayor G.H. Buddhadasa.
Meanwhile Weerawansa is also accused of getting a diplomatic passport for his wife Shashi Weerawansa although ministerial spouses are not entitle to hold the prestigious red passport. It has come to the light how Shashi Weerawansa has obtained two identity cards misleading the Department of Registration of Persons and Department of Immigration and Emigration. All attempts to contact Wimal Weerawansa for a comment for the allegations levelled against him and his wife failed. Although a text message was forwarded seeking a comment, Weerawansa did not reply or return the call until the paper went for publication.
(See the full story inside)
http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2015/01/25/wimal-among-the-accused/
Ben
The racists/bigots always have something to hide. They hide it with ultra nationalism, racism, chauvinism, …………. also with their stupidity.
You should set up an independent media watchdog to monitor the government reporting of their version of events.
Most journalists always want to be in the good books of the rulers partly for scoops and partly for their own benefit.
Here comes j.muthu are you both working together on “Free Media” campaign?
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Ben Hurling / January 26, 2015
BTW, what’s gonna happen to Sunday Leader itself?
Isn’t it still “owned” by a shady Rajapassa deal-maker?
What about rest of the corrupt deal-making fraternity in Colombo?
Dammika Perera, Sumal Perera, Dilith Jayaweera, Thilanga Sumathipala etc..etc. List is very long indeed.
Where are those prominent members of the stock market mafia? Just where the heck are they?
Cheers!
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Palmsquirrell / January 26, 2015
It is too soon for Srisena and Co. to have created an entrenched security apparatus that can intimidate Sri Lankan journalists, so I think what you are seeing is typical South Asian mentality of ass kissing the ruling elite.
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malaka / January 25, 2015
[Edited out] We have sent you an email, please reply – then we can approve your comment – CT
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Analyst / January 26, 2015
Malaka in trouble again with CT. Here old chap write something all can read not the old bollocks again.
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len / January 26, 2015
This comment was removed by a moderator because it didn’t abide by our Comment policy.For more detail see our Comment policy https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/comments-policy-2/
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Pot Shot / January 25, 2015
CT
Don’t make a mountain of a mole hill. The contents of your article don’t refer to gagging of the media what it says is that persons of responsibility who have accurate knowledge of information are being nominated to make available to media the correct information, so that it is reported accurately. There have been numerous instances where the new administration has made mistakes in providing information.
Mistakes do happen and this gov is only 12 days old so give them some time. It was you guys at CT who inaccurately reported that Gota had taken off to the Maldives on the 9th morning. To date you have not offered any correction or apology for that inaccurate report that got the whole world worked-up for nothing.
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Kangatta / January 25, 2015
Apology for what? Read the story first. Check the tweets. Gota was in fact in Maldives. So you want to believe Gota?
https://www.colombotelegraph.com/index.php/gota-flees-to-maldives-by-air-force-plane/
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Wickramasiri / January 26, 2015
Pot Shot, Agree with you. Many are rushing to judgement and it is too early to say whether this government will abide by their promises. I am optimistic.
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W.Jayaweera / January 25, 2015
This would result in preventing seniour government officials responding to press queries as well. They will hide behind the Establishment Code. This is a wrong decision. It not only undermines the watchdog role of the press but also the citizens’ right to know. In case if any government official provides wrong information he should be penalised for that lapse, but this unwise decision to apply the establishment code certainly would penalise the press.
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Jagath Fernando / January 25, 2015
Nothing wrong in getting appeal by the Secretary to the given Ministry.
Employees should not be allowed to just speak without any authority.
Most of these issues will be sorted out when RTI is in place
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W.Jayaweera / January 26, 2015
Dear Jagath
RTI is not a substitute for journalists, who want to investigate and find relevant information to meet the deadlines. Therefore public officials should be able to answer the queries of the press. Imagine that there is a water management problem of an irrigation scheme and the irrigation engineer refusing to talk to the press on the pretext that he has no authority to talk to the press. We cant expect the provincial reporter to contact the Ministry Secretaries to obtain such information of local relevance.
at least all those executive level public servants should be required to provide information to the press upon request.
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WijeyaSinghaBahu / January 25, 2015
Sri Lanka has some idiot journalists. The government has the 100% right to establish what is news and what is not. The fact that CT is making a big deal out of this shows how narrow minded and petty you fellows are. Go and comment on some progress without waiting for crow droppings.
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Native Vedda / January 26, 2015
WijeyaSinghaBahu
CT has been waiting for cows to come home over many moons and what they got was cow dung. Now CT wants to bathe the cows cleanse it and see if the cows are productive.
Is there a problem?
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Goblin / January 29, 2015
The Curfew tolls the knell of parting day
The lowing herd wind slowly o’er the lea
The plowman homeward plods his weary way
And leaves the world to darkness and to me
Thomas Ash
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Palmsquirrell / January 26, 2015
One can appreciate the government does not want unsubstantiated ‘facts’ to be uttered by government agencies but on the flip side Ministry Sec. can suppress facts that are deemed problematic for the government.
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Petros / January 25, 2015
I believe any organisation or government should have a responsible spokesperson who will clearly articulate the information that they need to convey. It is quite counterproductive when we have all and sundry giving a piece of their mind and contradicting each other in the process.
I would also hope that all journalist whilst being creative, be clear in their articulation of the truth, the above slogan of gagging the media is incorrect and contradictory to the article itself.
Sri Lankan’s have become the fittest nation in the world without any excercise since we are great at;
Jumping to conclusions (jumping to whichever side will benefit you the most too)
Epanding the truth
Running down people
Flying off the handle
Dodging responsibility
Passing the buck
Running our mouths off
and shovelling ……..
Its important that all of us work to be more in keeping with human values and norms and look to build a nation on those norms. So I would encourage anyone who has the above habits(myself included) do some real physical excercise or in the worst case, recyclying (yourself) would also be great :-)
Petros
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G / January 25, 2015
As far as I am aware, there have been regulations regarding media briefings by government officers for donkey’s years!
If one allows all govt servants starting with coolies, to comment on official matters it will be a problem! Please don’t stretch media freedom.
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Ron / January 26, 2015
The type of freedom of information you seek is not found even in the West, particularly when it comes to matters of national security. That apart, isn’t there a public service code of ethics/conduct in Sri Lanka? What harm is there if only a duly designated person issuing press releases? The press should complain only if they are obstructed from reporting freely.
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Analyst / January 26, 2015
Press regulations applies to National security, divulging the names of minors and commenting on legal matters while the case being heard or due to be heard at law courts. Putting the cart before the horse is the practice of Srilankan journalists as they know that they will never be charged by law courts for wrong doing. That shows most of them never studied journalism and the limitations of what they can write and what they cannot. They are half baked journalists of SL. I would say ignorance is the name of the game or just Hard core journalism.
The new Regime should watch these journalists charge them for spreading malicious lies and other stuff they publish. Press regulations should be implemented by the law makers of the country.
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Lanka Watch / January 26, 2015
The govt. must appoint one person, like minister Rajitha Senaratne to be the official spoke person for the govt. There are rouge journalists
also in this field of reporting and they should be screened first and there should be laws to punish them if the reports published are not true and sometimes, can undermine the efforts being made to have this country free of corruption, nepotism and intimidation. The Police spokesman has denied many reports as false after investigations are carried out. Some of the ministers do brag on TV prime time about their achievements and this should stop as they are elected to serve and the govt. spokesman will convey to the people through the media about their achievements. They should be regular meetings with the media, in consultations with the President, once a week or so.
So much hue and cry made about appointment of President’s brother as the head of Sri Lanka Telecom by various media without checking the actual facts. They should know that when Mr. John F. Kennedy was the president of USA, his younger brother Robert Kennedy was appointed as attorney General and served under his brother.It is because he had the required qualifications and likewise, SL President’ brother had the required qualification to lead SLT. Don’t forget the fact that the same person was dismissed by the former regime when he was serving in a high position because his brother Mr. Sirisena, was contesting the incumbent Prez .Is it not right to reinstate him. ? SLT is a money making concern and several multi-million Dollar contracts with overseas
companies exit and President would have judged his brother’s quality and ability and appointed him despite some protest from other players in the govt.and the media. Media has to watch his performance and report and do not jump the gun. I salute the principled stand taken
by the president on this matter because SLT chief was not picked from the streets and the he will stand guaranty for his conduct.
The president should see that whatever the govt has to tell the people,
it should be consolidated and given at periodical press briefings thus
avoiding contradictions among ministers and confuse the public on a day
to day basis.There should be some kind of discipline set by the president that people are briefed properly and frequently about the activities carried out by the govt., methodically .As it is, people receive less info. from the President than the ministers, under mining his position.
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Jay / January 26, 2015
In any organization there are spokespersons appointed and they are given instructions on procedures to be followed when providing information to the public as well as internally. Without proper procedures and responsible spokespersons incorrect and sometimes harmful information could be made available to the public. What the Government has done is correct.
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Javi. / January 26, 2015
CCONTROL FREAKS Preek Preek preeeeek!
like a charging buffalo stopping for a lie.
all decidedly undecided.
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viveka / January 26, 2015
What lead to this order is that, Mr Basnayaka no 1 lackey of the former regime was made the secretory to the defense dept still very much under GOTA’s stranglehold, and he is carrying out GOTA, MR sabotaging orders in order to embarrass the new government, he must have thought he can get away with it by trying to whitewash GOTA(or he may have thought now he is most powerful person in SL, the person with unlimited powers and person who runs the country since his predecessor was acting like the ghost president of the country) Every known person in SL warned the Maithree team of this guys’s duplicitous nature, and Maithree team was so generous and thought he would behave well can rehab this corrupt bureaucratic mafia in gov sector, when he was told to work under good governance. Now that they have to taste it trying to do damage control. They shouldn’t have appointed Basnayake in the first place. Similarly the other secretory people opposed for being a staunch MR lackey,Mr Abeykoon is the one who is entangled in Maithere’s brother’s appointment to SLT. I am not sure who’s agenda they are pushing right now, as those two are the key people involved in the very first MS gov controversies. I don’t see anything wrong with giving orders to stop doing press releases by secretaries on government positions they need to really relay what the gov position is and not what the secretory thinks it is, more so him making legally wrong statements is not acceptable. Because it is illegal for any secretory to keep money in their title. At least he should have fact checked before making a press release. They need to put educated people into these positions not stooges from previous government.
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Jango / January 26, 2015
“… public sector officials strictly follow the Establishment code and that no comments/information should be released to the media without obtaining prior written approval of the relevant Ministry Secretary.”
IF there exists an “Establishment Code” that stipulates this, then fair enough! At least the freedom of expression has been released from the cages that MR’s administration created and we can now access the sites that were forbidden us to read and respond to. It also frees the journalists from the paranoia that stifled them for fear of retribution from the ‘powers’.
Hopefully the freedom of expression will not be curtailed by this administration and they can handle criticism objectively, without shooting the messenger (and the source).
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vishvamithra / January 26, 2015
Anuara Kumara Dissanayake correctly said that people should not expect miracles from the new administration either.
What the right-thinking people should do now is to launch a vibrant campaign demanding to install a good check and balance system that would give people right to challenge any government wrong doing before a revamped Court system with new panel of Judges with exemplary character not just current subservient lot that meekly surrendered people’s sovereignty and endorsed the cheat Mohan Peiris’s opinion given to Rajapakse with a clause that it would have the weight of judgment pronounce by the Supreme Court.
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shankar / January 26, 2015
“all public sector officials strictly follow the Establishment code and that no comments/information should be released to the media without obtaining prior written approval of the relevant Ministry Secretary.”
I may be wrong so correct me because i’am not an expert in this area of media freedom,but i think that the western world also has this policy.i have not heard any secretaries contradicting the minister in them.
I personally prefer everyone shooting off their mouth and speaking their mind and truth because i’am like that,but others are not.I get scolded by my better half later on when someone asks me how is their saree or hair style and i say it is horrible.White lies are not for me it seems.However with regard to media freedom i go by the following report which shows us ranked as 162,no wonder the pakshes became passas thinking they were living in a world full of happy people.If they had allowed media freedom and taken on board constructive criticism by sorting the wheat from the chaff and reduced their weak points,today they would not be in a position where they lost power by a whisker.
http://rsf.org/index2014/en-index2014.php
All the nordic countries seem to be in the first ten.So i would probably like srilanka to adopt the scandinavian model,but minus things like cartoons of prophet mohammed etc in denmark.Free speech does not mean targeting others for insults and abuse,so some laws to prevent that will be necessary as we don’t want freedom of the wild ass.
coming back to our particular problem can we look at whether a defence secretary in scandinavia will be allowed to contradict his minister with a press release.If he can’t then i’am satisfied to move on.
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Lasanda / January 26, 2015
Is this Yaha Palanaya?
This Governtmnet must also inform the election office two moths prior that their will be a general election in this country? Have they done this? Or are they not sure????
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Swin / January 26, 2015
Do we have a Freedom of Information Act or at least Freedom of Information Principles to follow. Do we have a officer responsible for freedom of information in government departments who is responsible for providing information to public on request?
I like to know what the peoples right to information are. I think responsibility, accountability transparency, accessibility should be very important including ways of preventing changes information in any form. People who elect the government has a tight to know the truth about what is happening
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NJ / January 26, 2015
This is really a rubbish and misleading article. It’s not media freedom that has been gagged, it’s a control of who can speak and what can be said. Any organization has this in place.
Is CT being manned by a bunch of kids these days or what?
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pran / January 26, 2015
NJ, My thoughts exactly, their facts are wrong. Titles are misleading, in house articles are full of whim, and sensationalism. This article should have been titled “gags freedom of speech” not media freedom. Looks like who ever is responsible in CT doesn’t have much of knowledge in journalism. Before publishing anything like this, they should fact check, check with the legal background, and study the law behind it and then report. Even kids journalist clubs in high-schools do that all around the world. I don’t even see correction about it. Because I saw a clarification from the media minister.
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Chari / January 27, 2015
I think both NJ and param should check their heads or brains (if have one). This government is campaigning for good governance and media freedom and right to information. Read what is in 2004 Ranil govt’s RIT bill. According to that- cabinet approved bill – Govt secretaries can speck to media.
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patriot / January 27, 2015
NJ is right. You are case in point of NJ’s comment. You should understand what really new government said. They didn’t say the secretaries can’t talk to media. If they are presenting a the current government position, view to media on something they should check that with the person of authority. They can’t go on and just say what they think it is but what exactly the government position is. In this occasion Mr Basnayake knowingly or unknowingly had presented illegal practice as legal(in the sense that as government is accepting that it made a mistake in accusing the GOTA for keeping money in account in his titles name, and that is legally right-but which is not). He has no legal background to know legality of the issue. So he should have found out with the legal experts before making a public statement legality of the issue without making a public statement about something that he doesn’t know. Any institute has this kind of reservation, what they said to secretaries is that to follow the rules of the institutions. That is why we say this report is misleading and readers who has no idea what happened will get wrong information.
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Arf / January 27, 2015
It’s not gagging. This is how any responsible government acts to ensure consistency in communication which have some foundation and basis in truth. No point reporting the views of some wiseass public servant to mislead the public. In government communication is a process
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NAK / January 27, 2015
This ‘dantha dostharaya’speaks from both holes at the same time saying entirely opposite things.From one hole he utters”we are going to implement the RTI its all going to be in the open for every mothers son to see”.Then from the other hole he utters”here after only me and a few secretaries of ministries will provide information,all the other government officials are not authorized to make statements to the press.
Now the paassara PS secretary can not answer aquery regarding his administration but has to come from the ministry secretary in Colombo.
In the USA whistle blowers are jailed or are made holed up as rats for divulging information,here our buggers falling over each other to do the same!
My3 hamuduruwo has summoned the /defence sec for telling the truth. not that we needed it from him,we knew from the begining that this was a ‘athe rola’from karunanayakam the medawatchchi-killinotchchi foul mouth.
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Tilak de Silva / January 31, 2015
This government has more idiots than intelligent people, don’t need to name them. Any person who follow the comments, utterances and appointments will be able to judge, the differance of the leadership explanation of good governence and the real meaning of good governence, so far the nation is yet to see any clear examples of ‘good governence’ from this leadership.
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Tilak de Silva / February 1, 2015
This president is surrounded by a bunch of bufoons, who are acting with no plan, against their own political preachings of good governence
honesty integrity. Except group of people that can be counted in one hand all the others are brainless dimwits.
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