Sri Lanka detains Journalist Arthur Wamanan and his Mother
Arthur Wamanan, A Staff Reporter at The Sunday Leader is reported to have been arrested by the Sri Lanka Criminal Investigations Department (CID) on Wednesday October 24th, over a news item published in the paper relating to Enterprise Development Minister Mano Wijeratne.
Arthur’s mother was also detained since the young journalist uses a cell phone registered in his mother’s name. Reportedly the CID questioned the mother for telephone call being made by the journalist to the Sri Lankan Minister from this phone, during the course of the write up of this news item.
The Free Media Movement released a statement today and has called the arrest is precedent to creating a new method of intimidation and harassment of journalists in Sri Lanka.
The following is the full text of FMM Statement:
Free Media Movement expresses its serious concern that the arbitrary arrest of Arthur Wamanan, a staff reporter of The Sunday Leader is likely to create a dangerous precedent where journalists could be arrested on uncorroborated statements as a means of intimidating and harassing them.
According to editor of the Sunday Leader, Arthur Wamanan in the best of journalistic traditions telephoned Minister Mano Wijeratne to obtain his comments using his mobile telephone with regard to a story that appeared in last Sunday’s edition of The Sunday Leader titled “Minister gets Gem Authority to pay wife’s roaming charges.”
The story was published in the Sunday Leader on Sunday the 21st October 2007.
Journalist Arthur’s mother also was arrested and made to make a statement as the mobile was registered on her name. His arrest, based on a complaint lodged by Mr. Wijeratne will also create an unhealthy precedent where any one on a whim could claim to have received calls demanding ransom or other favours.
This will also prevent journalists from verifying information which is the established journalistic practice. It is important to note that Mr. Wijerate who made this outlandish statement claims that he also did not record his conversation which does not add credence to his statement in anyway at all.
Further, he also took cover under parliamentary privilege and made a statement regarding this in parliament that was given wide publicity which precludes others from an opportunity to respond.
In FMM’s opinion this incident would have a negative impact on the entire media community and would naturally result in the further creating different method of intimidation, harassment and even arrests of journalists.
