http://www.lankabusinessonline.com/fullstory.php?nid=1226407337
Bad Habit: Sri Lanka media watchdog slams 'brutish' lawmaker Aug 06, 2008 (LBO) – A Sri Lankan ruling party lawmaker who has earned notoriety for frequent attacks on the media appears to be above the law and police powerless to stop him, a media watch dog has said. The Free Media Movement (FMM) said in a statement that it was "outraged" to record the disgraceful and violent behaviour of the Minister of Labour Mervyn Silva. It said Silva assaulted two journalists from the privately-owned Sirasa television network in full view of the police, a larger number of other VIPs and the general public. The assault took place on Monday at the opening of a new flyover bridge in Kelaniya, Silva's constituency north of Colombo. "We note with deep regret that not a single police officer present when this incident took place intervened to stop the attack by the Minister," the FMM said. Silva and his "coterie of murderous thugs" had assaulted Sirasa TV journalists Thushara Saliya Ranawaka and video cameramen Waruna Sampath and seized their cameras. "Sirasa TV footage of the attack shows very clearly that it was the Minister who led the attack," the statement said. "The Minister's snarling threat, that he will have to break the Buddhist teaching of not taking any person's life is clearly audible in the TV footage." The FMM said it "unequivocally condemns this dastardly act." Sirasa TV has made three complaints to the Police against the errant Minister but no action has taken to question him or bring him to book. The FMM said Silva enjoys "complete impunity and the protection from those at the highest levels of political office". Silva created much controversy last December when he assaulted a senior journalist at the state owned TV broadcaster Rupavahini. The FMM said there was no investigation whatsoever in to the assault. "The FMM challenges the government to take immediate action against this brutish Minister," the statement said. ------------------------------------ -- INFORMATION OVERLOAD? Get all ZESTMedia mails sent out in a span of 24 hours in a single mail. Subscribe to the daily digest version by sending a blank mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED], OR, if you have a Yahoo! Id, change your settings at http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/ PARTICIPATE Share media news, discuss journalism issues and network with media professionals across South Asia on this mailing list. Just write to [email protected] TELL FRIENDS TO SIGN UP If you got this mail as a forward, subscribe to ZESTMedia by sending a blank mail to [EMAIL PROTECTED] OR, if you have a Yahoo! ID, by visiting http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join/ Also have a look at our sister list, ZESTCaste: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTCaste/Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/ <*> Your email settings: Individual Email | Traditional <*> To change settings online go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/ZESTMedia/join (Yahoo! ID required) <*> To change settings via email: mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] mailto:[EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
