As the world commemorates the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on November 2, the Free Media Movement (FMM) of Sri Lanka in a press release stated that
ensuring justice for crimes against the media is a prime responsibility of the next president.
The Free Media Movement expresses its deep displeasure that the present government which came into power with the promise to implement justice for the crimes committed against journalists have been unable to establish justice even when their official term is coming to an end.
A study conducted by the Free Media Movement regarding thirty selected cases of impunity among crimes committed against journalists in Sri Lanka during the period 2000-2015 shows that this government has so far failed to ensure justice to even one of those cases. In addition, a key problem observed was that the organisations responsible do not have the correct and adequate information pertaining to these incidents.
There is also an alarming gap and disparity between the official statements of the Government and the actual facts regarding certain incidents.
Sri Lanka’s media organisations, including the Free Media Movement, have been requesting for the appointment of a full-fledged Presidential Commission to investigate and address the above crimes for a long time. However, the current President has failed to meet even that request.
While the pledge to eradicate crimes against journalists became a key pledge in previous elections including the presidential elections, the Free Media Movement expresses its deep concern that the current presidential election does not even consider or draw any attention to this serious issue.
On the day of The International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, Free Media Movement urge ending Impunity is a sole responsibility of any Government. Free Media Movement wish to emphasise the fact that intervention of the media community and the Civil Society is important to eliminate the loopholes of the ending impunity for crimes against journalists.