By Colombo Telegraph –
Nine staffers including several journalists were arrested and taken to the fourth floor for questioning after the Criminal Investigations Department raided the offices of the Sri Lanka Mirror and Sri Lanka X News websites earlier today.
Sri Lanka Mirror Editor Ruwan Ferdinands with Minister Basil
The CID which was conducting the raid based on a court order, raided the websites’ offices in Kotte this afternoon and seized seven computers from the premises, UNP MP Mangala Samaraweera told Colombo Telegraph.
Reports say the CID sealed the computers and checked mobile phone records during the raid.
Samaraweera said he had seen the court order authorizing the raid but could not provide further details.
Following the raid on the offices of the news websites, CID officers are now at the residence of Sri Lanka Mirror Editor Ruwan Ferdinands in Narahenpita, the opposition MP added.
Colombo Telegraph learns that several Sri Lanka Mirror staffers including Ferdinands have gone into hiding following the raid.
Update: Video and Picture added
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sm4jfyuxAT8&feature=player_embedded
httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hRz-JrpQGQI
Nine staffers including several journalists were arrested and taken to the fourth floor for questioning(Pix by Pradeep Dilrukshana / Daily mirror)
monicka senanayake / June 29, 2012
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Patta / June 29, 2012
Disgraceful Democracy.
High time the journalists, the people and the entire country loving people did something about this unfair and corrupt practice of a dictatorship.
Too much has been allowed to happen for too long and unless we tell them it is time up, it will only get worse,
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James Bond / June 30, 2012
The Rajapakse regime is running scared and becoming desperate. They seems to be losing the plot and painting themselves into a corner.. Hence the call for early PC elections because the later it gets the more likely they are to be defeated badly. They also want to distract the people from the economic crisis that is unfolding with the drought, CoL rising and the academics and farmers protesting as the rupee goes into free fall and the corruption of the family dictatorship is exposed. But this strategy may prove counter-productive if the opposition unites and plays its cards well.
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Dr Romesh Senewiratne / July 1, 2012
What on earth are you talking about?
It is not “undemocratic” to arrest and question people who are suspected of crimes.
The fact is, the LTTE are regrouping and reorganizing, under the leadership of the TGTE. The propaganda operations supporting the LTTE have always involved people who call themselves “journalists”.
I trust the intelligence, integrity and kindness of the Sri Lankan government.
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Anti-Boru / July 2, 2012
Senewiratne:
In case you are looking for a position as the Resident Sycophant to this lot, you might be S.O.L because they already have Malinda Seneviratne, Rajiva Wijesinha, Dayan J. etc. etc. and even their bottomless bank account for such hiring might be getting a bit low.
“(You)trust the intelligence, integrity and kindness of the Sri Lankan government.” Good for you. There’d be something very seriously wrong if Pandankarayas like you couldn’t! However, a word of advice: with the increasing paranoia of your friends even YOU might not be safe!
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Truth wins / July 5, 2012
Anti-Boru
So, this [Edited out] dostara Romesh Senewiratne ([Edited out]) joins the government [Edited out] Dayan J. ([Edited out] who washes Rajapakshe government’s dirty clothes), Rajiva Wijesinha ([Edited out] who goes around lying for the govt.), Malinda Seneviratne (the [Edited out]who works for the Anti-Tamil govt. racist rag), and David Blockhead (govt. [Edited out] war crime defender).
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Kamalika / June 29, 2012
uneducated uncultured rascals
see they don’t care what the civilised world thinks. One day we can see Sri Lankas Gudafi for sure.
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suz / July 1, 2012
srilanka mirror staffers do not know what their boss do to get publicity.mangala knows how he made this.take it easy.
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Dr Romesh Senewiratne / July 1, 2012
The “civilized world”? Where’s that?
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Anti-Boru / July 2, 2012
Senewiratne:
NOT where you and your friends reside, that’s for sure!
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Panda / June 29, 2012
They want to stifle the truth, and muzzle the media. All this, while they put out their begging bowls and try to convince the world they are running a democratic country. If this was not a corrupt, secretive, ruthless, dictatorship, they would not operate this way, and many journalists and activists would be alive today, and the public will not be afraid of white vans.
They want the Sri Lankan people to live in ignorance about their crimes.
What a despicable lot.
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cardinal sin / June 29, 2012
Midnight elections announced,afternoon muzzle the press commences, And by a runaway broke lot who now enrich,terrorise.
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Sri Lankan / June 29, 2012
Sri Lanka is deteriorating down to the bone. The super rich are getting richer, the poor poorer. Big Businesses are in the hands of a selected few. Democracy is not working. Freedom of speech is suppressed. Human rights are violated. Corruption and violence found in all corners of society. The opposition is dead and the government is surviving by instigating the Sinhala-Buddhist majority against the minorities (Tamils and Muslims) with bogus Patriotism and Nationalism.
We urgently require someone to lead us out of this mess before it is too late.
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Panda / June 29, 2012
I agree with all you say. Unfortunately, the thugs who run the country have made sure that there is no viable candidate to run against them. Our opposition parties are a bunch of wimps, and they cannot get their act together. They have got away with murder, kidnapping, corruption, and intimidation. There is no hope for our country.
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Liberation / June 29, 2012
Time has come for all the opposition parties to unite and stand against this coward,shameful, idiotic MR family marauders who are destroying our country against all norms.Stand for the rights, freedom, democracy and liberty that our fathers who fought for our independence. That’s the only way to face these cowards who are using their thugs and goons to suppress liberty of our people. Gather behind the people, diaspora and the international community to achieve this objective.
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Lasantha Pethiyagoda / June 30, 2012
It is the responsibility of the media in Sri Lanka to find out what the charges against the arrested journalists were, and make the public aware of what transpired at the criminal investigation. It would be interesting to view video footage of the interviews by police officers, as so much is speculated on procedures adopted. Transparency will eliminate the risk of rumours and gossip. The respondents’ legal representatives and government prosecutors should also be interviewed by the media in this regard.
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Dr Romesh Senewiratne / July 1, 2012
Lasantha,
Maybe you are jumping the gun a bit. The journalists were arrested and questioned. We don’t yet know if they have been charged, and this is hardly surprising.
Lasantha, the Sri Lankan government is EXTREMELY transparent, compared to the government in Australia where you and I live. What ARE you talking about?..gossip and rumours indeed. The media thrives on gossip and rumours – and what competent police force announces all their evidence to the media before the trial?
The trials of the LTTE bosses have not yet begun. Be patient…The government is still collecting evidence.
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Native Vedda / July 1, 2012
Dr Romesh Senewiratne says:
“Lasantha, the Sri Lankan government is EXTREMELY transparent, compared to the government in Australia where you and I live”
If so you are free to come and live in this country at any time anywhere in this island. Please do come and enjoy freedom, rule of law, transparency, accountability, ….democracy..which you might find available in large quantities.
In fact Sri Lanka is planing to export the surpluses. You can also apply for agency.
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Sagara / July 2, 2012
Do not worry Vedda. That’s why he is living in exile. I guess that he is promoting his U-tube videos. Do not fall in to that trap.
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Anti-Boru / July 2, 2012
Senewiratne:
Apart from anything else you have an inordinate difficulty in telling the truth. Comparing democratic practice in Sri Lanka vs Australia, “transparency”? Do you take everyone in this country to be village idiots?
Surely, the LTTE bosses who survived can be brought to trial. How about starting with KP, Pillayan, the two Masters, Karuna. Or would that cause a drying up of some of the means of building up,further, the 87 million francs already deposited in Swiss Banks LAST YEAR ALONE?
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Udugampola / June 30, 2012
This is very unfortunate and shouldnt have happened at all. Who ever who gave orders to this saga, have voluntaraly given amunition to the West, to justify all journalists who are now in exile seeking Political protection allegaing unnecessary harrasments by the GOSL.
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cardinal sin / July 1, 2012
Yep,EXTREMELY transperent like your fellow citizens abduction.
I’ll rent you my annexe,do come and live here in miracle land as you RS are quite lost in Melbourne.
Ane dosthara ai mehema kaday yanne?
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Java Jones / July 2, 2012
Romesh – You say “..“Lasantha, the Sri Lankan government is EXTREMELY transparent, compared to the government in Australia where you and I live”. Maybe you mean “transparent” as in “impunity”? In that event, yes they are “transparent”, and appear not to give a damn either way. But then I take it you were ‘Serious”, being removed from it all out there in the bush…
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Sarath / July 3, 2012
What is wrong with Romesh Seneviratne?
His comments(out of all 22 comments) are the only ones supportive of MaRa and the Family Dictatorship.
He goes to the extent of declaring “the Sri Lankan government is EXTREMELY transparent, compared to the government in Australia where you and I live”.
If this is true, why is this regime panicking to face an independent
investigation and clear it’s name against allegations of war crimes?
instead of spending billions of dollars employing PR firms, and sending out tens of delegates to canvass support from other ignorant
nations for votes at Geneva.
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Lasantha Pethiyagoda / July 4, 2012
In response to Romesh; I am presently at some loss to find words to respond. Do bear with me. In the meantime, do keep reading comments by the readers of Colombo Telegraph. Somehow, I don’t believe they are all Tiger conscripts promoting a virtual Eelam online. I do hear the frustrations, emotions and sentiments expressed by the different factions. If these sentiments are anything to go by, I would ponder my own perspectives and do some quiet reflecting, in order to understand and become aware. The idea is to keep an open mind, and not let it get into a rut, where the tendency is to then reject any position that does not accord with ours.That would be a tragedy.
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Vis8 / July 5, 2012
Here’s the USA’s democratic way of silencing people:
Judge orders all Twitter tweets from ‘Occupy Wall Street’ people to be handed over to the CIA:
http://www.dailynews.lk/2012/07/05/news02.asp
……..just like in SL, these poor protesters will shut up, now. Those who continue, will be ‘detained under terrorism prevention’, without bail or any hearing.
This is how the great champion of democracy operates.
Yes, I live in the USA.
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