ECONOMYNEXT – The government of Sri Lanka on Tuesday (15) condemned the attack on the residence of journalist Chamuditha Samarawickrama days ahead of a critical UN human rights council session, though opposition politicians claim the attack was emblematic of an emerging culture of media suppression and violence with impunity.
Speaking at the weekly cabinet press briefing Tuesday morning, Media Minister Dullas Alahapperuma said the government unequivocally rejects the attack with unreserved disgust.
Samarawickarma’s residence was attacked around 2am Monday (14) by a group of four men who he said had thrown pots of faeces and rocks at house and garden. The freelance journalist, who has a wide following online and is considered a critical voice, said he also heard gunfire.
Related: Sri Lanka journalist’s residence attacked; says too early to pinpoint possible culprit
“The police is investigating the incident, and we urge the media to expose the attacker, this faeces lover,” said Alahapperuma.
“It is clear that this faces lover is someone with no voice for democracy and is hiding in a lavatory.”
“It is the stink of a festering group of society that is emanating from this attack,” the minister said.
Foreign Minister G L Peiris told reporters on Monday that an impartial inquiry will be carried out by the police and that the government will not intervene.
“The government will never intervene in incidents such as this. There is a proper mechanism for it, such as the police , the attorney general’s dept and the judiciary,” he said.
Meanwhile, the opposition has strongly criticised the government over the incident.
Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa in a statement on Monday said a free media is the fourth pillar of democracy and that the attack on Samarawickrama was a blow to democracy itself.
“There is no room in this country for terrorist witch hunts on the media. We request the president, the prime minister and the government to conduct an impartial investigation into this and bring everyone responsible before the law,” he said.
The opposition Janatha Vimukthi Peramuan (JVP) said in a statement that only a powerful, well-connected group could’ve forced their way into a gated community caring arms.
“It’s a very serious situation indeed that these incidents are taking place in a context of the government maintaining armed groups in the name of providing security,” the party said.
Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) leader Rauf Hakeem told reporters: “It’s clear a group of trained people did this, on the watch of a government that brags about ensuring national security.”
Samarawickrama has been courting controversy with a series of explosive interviews published on his YouTube channel ‘Truth with Chamuditha’.
His latest videos include one with the leader of the Ape Janabala Pakshaya, who had levelled allegations against controversial Buddhist monk Galabadaththe Gnanasara thero. The monk now heads a task force appointed by President Gotabaya Rajapaksa named ‘One Country, One Law’.
Another video interview with Chandimal Jayasinghe, the Sri Lankan franchise holder for the Mrs World pageant, had racked up over 350,000 views. In the video, Jayasinghe had made some remarks about Pushpika de Silva, who recently lost her Mrs Sri Lanka for Mrs World title, the culmination of a widely publicised scandal that erupted last year when her crown was forcibly taken off at the 2021 Mrs Sri Lanka pageant. (Colombo/Feb15/2022)