Differentiate journalism and unionism from terrorism

S. Akurugoda

It is reported that the Sri Lankan security forces have arrested three Sinhalese men in Colombo. They have been identified as journalists attached to a trade union paper (not a known national newspaper). There is strong evidence proving their links to the LTTE and they were nabbed with a haul of arms and ammunition in their possession.

Soon after the arrests, of these so-called journalists, politically motivated movements, going under various names, came out with their usual slogans of ‘free’, ‘fair’, ‘abduction’, ‘human rights’, etc. and attempted to manipulate the situation to discredit the government on human rights issues.

During the investigation, it was found that one of the Sinhala LTTE terrorists was a ranked activist in one of the Trade Unions in the Railway Department. The leading figure in the gang, during his confession, had stated that their party was against ‘neo imperialism’ with a different face and their main aim was to strongly act against it.

Incidentally, this new development was revealed at a time when so-called ‘ultra leftwing’, ‘anti neo imperialist’ party leaders like Vickramabahu Karunrathna called upon the Tamil Tigers to join hands with the working masses in the country and abroad to fight together to liberate the country from Global capital and national oppression. According to the media reports, Vickramabahu was said to have made the above comments at a public meeting at ‘Krishjohn’ social club in Eastham, organised by the Tamil Information Centre, Tamil Community Forum and the World Peace Organisation in East London, on February 4. He is expected to address a series of meetings in the UK with his newly found theory, probably, with the full patronage of the pro-LTTE organisations active abroad. Apparently, Vickramabahu is not aware that he is calling the working masses in the country to join hand with an organisation whose top nine leaders, including Prabhakaran, Soosai and Pottu Amman are criminals and ‘wanted’ by the Interpol.

This is not the first time that incidents of treacherous acts of Sinhala people were reported. Two years ago (The Island dated 22/03/2005), a Sinhala spy was caught when he was transporting bombs to Colombo. We also read about cases of printing of vital information in a newspaper published by a Sinhala media personality, which was useful to the terrorist outfit and risking the security of the country and its leaders.

A few weeks ago, the former OIC of the Harbour Police, Trincomalee (a Sinhala national) was arrested with a Tamil national at a hotel in Matara for alleged involvement with the LTTE and a reported fraud amounting to millions of rupees.

A senior ranking Sinhala officer of the security forces was also arrested for providing assistance to kill Major General Parami Kulathunga. Former Commissioner in-charge of the issue of National Identity Cards, another Sinhala national, is also in custody for allegedly issuing forged Identity Cards to LTTE suicide cadres. We read about Sinhala politicians, parliamentarians, servicemen, NGO personal, academics and journalists who are serving the LTTE in various ways. Some of these personal are said to be in the pay of the LTTE. Thus, the roots of LTTE terrorism have now extended to all parts of the country, including the South.

The Tamil Tigers, whose killing spree was limited mainly to Colombo, and the Northern and Eastern parts of the country so far (other than bombing of Dalada Maligawa and Sri Maha Bodhiya), have apparently found new avenues and safe havens in the South, via media and trade unions, to extend their operations (on large scale) to the other parts of the country. Incidentally, a journalist attached to ‘Maubima’, a Sinhala weekly news paper, is also now in custody for allegedly helping LTTE suicide cadres.

There should not be any argument as to the existence of freedom of expression in a democratic society. But the obvious question, that arises after the above incidents, is, ‘are we expecting to compromise the security of the country, as a whole, against those who write something somewhere or call themselves journalists or manage to get media accreditation cards (probably to enter high security areas freely) and engage in terrorist activities? If the FMM is genuinely interested in their profession, what they should do is to assist the investigations and take necessary steps to regulate the profession and uplift its image.

It is shocking to find the extent of involvement of these so-called media personalities possessing arms and ammunition and extensive terrorist training, at a time when the blood thirsty outfit is looking for its next vital targets. The LTTE has so far succeeded in either getting or attempting to get the lives of their targets and they may use all the available avenues to achieve the rest of their targets by hook or crook. Under this situation, no place is secure unless through investigations are carried out with determination to eliminate those who are in the payroll of the LTTE, regardless of ethnicity, political affiliation, profession or creed, if we are to eradicate terrorism and to protect the lives of VIPs opposed to terrorism and those of innocent civilians.