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Saturday, November 01, 2008 'Draconian' move to muzzle media: Ranil Opposition UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe talking to SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem before the media conference to announce the joint campaign against the new move to muzzle free media. Pic. by Pradeep Pathirana Joint opposition to launch massive campaign against threat to democracy By Kelum Bandara The UNP-led alliance comprising the UNP, SLMC and the SLFP (M) vowed yesterday to launch a political campaign against the gazette notification of a Bill to be introduced by the Media Minister regarding a new licensing system for TV and radio channels in Sri Lanka. Opposition UNP leader Ranil Wickremesinghe told the media that democracy was becoming extinct under the government of President Mahinda Rajapaksa, and even led to Sri Lanka being thrown out of the United Nations Human Rights Council. Mr. Wickremesinghe said in the recent past some journalists were killed, some tortured and some others threatened while now new regulations were to be introduced to suppress media freedom by imposing restrictions on independent TV and radio channels. "According to these regulations, licences will not be issued to recognized political parties to start TV transmissions. But the government had issued licences to some political parties and TV transmissions are operating. What is the government going to do about them now," he asked. Mr. Wickremesinghe said provisions of the new regulations permitted the cancellation of the licence of any recognized TV or radio station if it telecast anything construed or interpreted as a threat to national security or inciting religious and ethnic hatred. "If that is the case then the regulations should be enforced by first banning the two state-run TV channels because they are inciting racism right through the day," he said. Mr. Wickremesinghe said his party would take political action to prevent the government from enacting such draconian laws in this country. He charged that this was yet another attempt by the Rajapaksa-quartet to control the media to cover-up government shortcomings on various fronts. "The President who advocated war a week ago is now talking about a political solution. In this gazette notification, there is a clause which prohibits TV stations from telecasting anything that affects national security. It means that the Defence Secretary will be the authority to enforce these regulations," he said. SLMC leader Rauff Hakeem said the latest government move to stifle media freedom was a continuation of the government's policy for suppressing the media. Mr. Hakeem said the license to operate a radio channel was cancelled after it reported an incident regarding an LTTE attack at Ranminitenna in Hambantota earlier. "All the channels belonging to the proprietor of this channel were banned. Later, the owners family joined the government and it is no secret that this lead to the licenses being restored," the SLMC leader said. He said there were subtle attempts to control the media during the regime headed by President Chandrika Kumaratunga, and the government relented following public agitation. "But, this government does not appear to be sensitive to public agitation," he said.
