Colombo, Jan 24: The Sri Lankan government assured
non-interference in press freedom and "systematic" probe into
incidents of assault on media as Parliament was rocked over
the attack on a newspaper editor and his wife in the capital.
The Chief Editor of the Sinhala weekly `Rivira`, Upali
Thennakoon and his wife were badly injured by motorcycle-borne
attackers near his residence yesterday, the latest in a string
of violent incidents targeting the media in the island nation.
Two weeks ago, Lasantha Wickrematunga, editor of a
newspaper critical of the war against the Tamil rebels in the
country`s north, was shot dead by gunmen. The government has
faced allegations of not being able to prevent attacks on the
media, with some sections even accusing it of orchestrating
the incidents.
"The government will never obstruct media freedom and the
government is conducting systematic investigations into the
incidents relating to media that have taken place in the
recent past," Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickremanayake said.
Condemning the attack, he told Parliament last evening
that investigations were on to nab the assailants.
"The Government will not, by any means, approve
interferences in the media freedom," he assured the members.
Former Sri Lankan Prime Minister and Opposition Leader
Ranil Wickremasinghe and senior ministers visited Thennakoon
in the hospital.
The editor narrated the incident to the visiting
political leaders and police. Dhammika Thennakoon, the wife of
the editor, said had she not come on the way of the attackers
and her husband, the matter could have turned graver.
The Prime Minister said the judiciary and the criminal
investigation department were assisting in the investigations.
Tennekoon was assaulted by unknown persons near
Imbulgoda, 200 metres away from his residence, yesterday
morning when he was driving to work with his wife.
Police spokesman Ranjith Gunasekera told state-owned
newspaper that the two motorcycles which were following him,
had blocked the editor`s vehicle and attacked him.
The attackers first broke the windscreen and the windows
by a pole and cut Tennekoon`s face and hands while his wife
was also injured when she attempted to prevent the attackers
from harming Tennekoon, the spokesman said.
The editor and his wife were brought to the Colombo
National Hospital.
Prasad Ariyawansa of the National Hospital said Tennekoon
was treated for lacerations to his hands and forehead. His
wife had cut wounds in her hand.
In a statement, the government "vehemently" condemned the
attack and said that at a critical time when the country is
about to eliminate terror completely, certain "conspirators"
are trying to embarrass the government by such deeds.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa has instructed the Defence
Ministry to conduct immediate inquiries into the incident.
Rivira newspaper has a political orientation sympathetic
to the government and is supportive of humanitarian operations
conducted by security forces in Wanni, the Daily News said.
Several media organisations and civil society groups
condemned the attack on the Rivira editor.
Bureau Report
