Barbaric Attack on Journalist
- Free Media Movement, 24 May 2008
 It
looks as if the government, while pining and blaming all and sundry about the
loss of the country's place in the UN Human Rights Council (UNHRC), it is
permitting the production of evidence that lends substance to the allegation
that there is a serious problem about human rights violations in the country.
Adding to the list of mysterious abductions and disappearances, the Nation
newspaper's Associate Editor Keith Noyahr had been abducted in the dead of night
as he was returning home after work late at night and released nearly seven
hours later after being brutally assaulted by unidentified persons.
What earthly crime had Keith Noyahr committed to deserve this type of nasty
treatment? We as fellow journalists with close associations with him are certain
that he had not committed any major or minor offence to earn the wrath of any
individual or group.
Once the possibility of private anger or vengeance has been ruled out, the
accusing finger remains to be raised against those who had been hurt or harmed
by what he had written on the conduct of the war in the course of performing his
duty by the country as a responsible journalist covering the subject of defence.
There could well have been inaccuracies in his writings. If that were so, the
aggrieved persons had ample legal and administrative avenues of dealing with
them decently and democratically. The barbarous and uncivilized method resorted
to instead, in this instance, exposes the lowest depths to which the
perpetrators and collaborators had descended.
This incident has not only lent credence to the prevailing practice of silencing
criticism, but infuriated all those who - here and abroad - are committed to
protecting and promoting the right to freedom of expression, on the full
articulation of which depend the protection and preservation of most other
fundamental rights guaranteed to citizens. This cherished right, as is well
known, is enshrined in the UN Charter of Human Rights under Article 19. The
present ugly incident that adds to similar instances of abductions and killings,
intimidation and harassment of those engaged in the vital task of providing
information, confirms the accusation that the country is deviating from
democratic practices and choosing the path of authoritarianism.
What indeed have the decent ministers handling the subject of media and
information to say on this matter? They will most probably condemn the attack
and assure that the incident will be fully and quickly investigated. They will
also attempt to draw a red herring to save those at whom the accusing finger of
suspicion is pointed. That would be the immediate response and their concerns
and interests end there leaving the incident to join the country's discredited
list of mysterious crimes.
It is the bounden duty of all those parties and groups, particularly the
religious groups, supporting the government and who desire that decency and
democracy should prevail, to make their voices heard and exert pressure on the
powers that be to prevent the recurrence of attempts to suppress dissent and
criticism.
Dastardly acts of this nature will also have the effect of driving even those
who are sympathetic and supportive of the government's efforts to deal with
terrorism and solve the national problem, to the camps of those opposing
government policies and actions. Their alienation would serve to strengthen the
forces that conspire to save the LTTE from the predicament it faces today.
The government has to extricate itself from the suspicion mounting against it by
ensuring that the incident is quickly investigated and perpetrators brought to
book. It is only by such honest action that the government would be able to
restore the country's lost reputation as a country deeply committed to
preserving the democratic rights of the people.
The media organizations have now to decide on more effective ways than issuing
statements, staging protests and condemning those suspected to be responsible
for these contemptible acts, to bring about an end to the regular attacks on
media institutions and personnel. Forging unity among journalists is an
essential prerequisite for launching a forceful campaign to compel the
authorities to refrain from resorting to illegal and undemocratic methods to
blunt dissent.
It is unfortunate that the state media institutions and personnel employed in
them adopt a lukewarm attitude to these threats to the institutions and their
profession. It is only irredeemable sycophants who will stay undisturbed by
these criminal invasions on their profession.
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Management
and Staff of Rivira Media Corporation stood shell
shocked and outraged
- Krishantha Prasad
Cooray, Chief Executive Officer, Rivira Media Corporation,
24 May 2008
The Management and Staff of
Rivira Media Corporation stood shell shocked and outraged on
Thursday night (May 22) upon receiving the news that
Associate Editor of The Nation and one of the paper’s most
senior journalists, Keith Noyahr, had been abducted outside
his residence at around 10 p.m.
Keith, who was returning home after dinner, was abducted at
the entrance of his house, presumably when he got off his
vehicle to open his garage gate. His wife was to find his
car, minutes later, still parked outside, its engine running
and headlights still on.
His abduction followed a series of threats issued against
him, and, according to Keith’s close associates, seemingly
because of his regular contributions to The Nation’s weekly
defence column published under the nom-de-plume Senpathi.
After what seemed liked an endless vigil for Keith’s family
and friends, he was ‘released,’ but not before being
brutally assaulted by his abductors.
I am joined by Keith’s colleagues both at The Nation and
Rivira and the wider media community, who have recognised
both his valour and unprejudiced journalism, and therefore
view this attack against him as a despicable act aimed at
silencing a pen committed to the truth above all else.
We live in a nation where terrorism is a word much bandied
about. Terrorism is words, ideologies and individuals;
terrorism is also a convenient label, a weapon to be used
against political detractor and dissident. But terrorism by
definition rises beyond individual and organisation.
The perpetrator notwithstanding, terrorism is principally an
act. This is why, we at Rivira Media Corporation, stand
convinced that what happened to Keith in those hours between
10 p.m. and 4 a.m. on Thursday night was terrorism, in its
rawest, most savage form.
Keith is a journalist by profession, but he is first and
foremost a family man. On Thursday night, his abductors
rendered his two small children hysterical with grief and
fear that they might never see their father again,
presumably because they disagreed with what he wrote.
Keith remains at the Colombo National Hospital, receiving
treatment for injuries sustained, the extent of which is not
yet fully known. Journalistic principle aside, it was a
heavy price to pay for writing an article.
Despite all evidence pointing to the contrary, we, at Rivira
Media Corporation, remain hopeful that the authorities will
seek to bring the perpetrators of this heinous act of
terrorism to book. We recognise that while a strong campaign
to bring Keith’s abductors to justice is being waged, there
are thousands in the very same plight, without voice and
without hope.
In appealing for justice for Keith, we echo the same call
for justice to be served to the hundreds and thousands of
abductees all over Sri Lanka. We pray that this culture of
impunity will be arrested forthwith – already too many have
paid the highest price to satisfy the whims of a few.
We take this opportunity to thank our colleagues in the
media for their stoic and unending support in this time of
crisis. Keith, had he been in better condition, would have
been the first to recognise this support and offer his
thanks.
It was Keith, more than any of us, who was the defender of
media rights; he was at every protest against the
obstruction of media freedom, he would personally insist on
articles being published about journalists killed for doing
their job. He embodied the best of journalism in this
country.
One by one, journalists in this country have been silenced.
When they have not been killed to stop them reporting, they
have been intimidated into reluctance to pick up a pen
again. We call on our colleagues in the media therefore, to
stand up against this injustice. We urge you to join with us
in a campaign to bring about true democracy in this country.
May our calls be stronger than ever before; may our struggle
prove a force to be reckoned with. It is a moment for
collective solidarity, a time to shun rivalry, a time to
stand up for each other against the forces that seek to
silence and destroy us. Let us step up to the challenge, for
Keith Noyahr, for the countless other scribes and perhaps
for ourselves. |
