Sathyan - the truth on cowardice and free expression

FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION: There are protests against the decision by President Mahinda Rajapaksa acceding to the concerns of the Catholic Bishops' Conference and banning the screening of "Da Vinci Code" in Sri Lanka; and, against the Minister of Cultural Affairs withdrawing the permit issued by the Public Performances Board to screen Asoka Handagama's film "Aksharaya", which matter is now before the Supreme Court.

There were protests against the attack on the "Udayan" newspaper office in Jaffna, when two newspaper employees were killed and some others injured, as UNESCO celebrated World Press Freedom Day in Colombo on May 2.

Protests continue against the killings and attacks on Tamil language journalists; and threats to these journalists in the State media, allegedly by the LTTE. All these are based on the necessity to protect the Freedom of Expression, and such protests are a necessity in a democracy.

Freedom of Expression is a rallying call today for those supposedly concerned about the state of democracy in Sri Lanka, and keen to find ways to arrest what they see as a growing threat to a cardinal freedom guaranteed in our Constitution.

I have been in the forefront of safeguarding this freedom and the related freedom of the Media, when both Freedom of Expression and Media Freedom were under grave threat here, from 1989 to 1993.

Although I do not repent my defence of Freedom of Expression then, and would continue to support it today, there are increasing signs of the interest in protecting this Freedom being confined to matters related to the media, including cinema, and journalists.

I see in this a dangerous restriction of the scope and meaning of this much valued Freedom, which needs addressing in greater depth by those genuinely concerned about the state of democracy in Sri Lanka today.

Sathyan of Eravur

It was reported that on May 20 the LTTE had killed a 12 year old schoolboy at Eravur, for refusing to carry arms for it. The child was asleep at his grandmother's home when the group of terrorists forced him out and shot him to death.

The deceased child, S. Sathyan, a student of Valaichchenai Hindu College, had been ordered to join the LTTE's "Baby Brigade" by its recruiters on many occasions but had refused. He was seeking refuge from the recruiters in his grandmother's home when killed.

Young as he was, 12 year old Sathyan, did not have the right to Freedom of Expression - to express his opposition to being used by the LTTE or any other organization to carry arms?

Was his killing not a clear attack on this child's right to decide whether he wanted to be part of a machine of terror or not, and express his feelings and convictions by his refusal to give in to the demands of the Tiger recruiters? Was this not an attack on his Freedom of Expression, and a warning to other Tamil children, too?

It bothers me as to why no one has protested this killing as an attack on Sathyan's Freedom of Expression. I am also concerned that this killing has not found condemnation from those who speak a great deal about defending the Rights of the Child, as well as the state institutions charged with protecting the Rights of Children.

Husband and wife

There was a subsequent report of an LTTE pistol gang publicly executing a husband and wife in Mullaitivu town for not attending civilian military training in an LTTE camp. The husband and wife, aged 46 and 41 respectively, had gone into hiding to avoid attending the training session.

LTTE cadres had reportedly captured and brought them to the Mullaitivu town centre where they were shot dead, with an announcement that this fate awaited all who defied LTTE orders.

Surely, this husband and wife were old enough to decide what they wanted to do with regard to the LTTE's civilian military training programme. Was their refusal to participate in this training not the use of their Freedom of Expression, on what they wished to do or not do?

Why are no voices heard from the quarters that usually protest threats to Freedom of Expression, against this clear instance of the most brutal attack on this freedom, and also the warning to others who use their Freedoms of Thought and Expression, both guaranteed in our Constitution?

The LTTE's warning that such death would be the fate of others who defied their orders, simply means no one dare hold or express one's views against its orders. Is this also not a very serious attack on the Freedom of Expression of the citizen?

How is it that champions of Freedom of Expression, who write to every possible organization abroad protesting whenever there is any perceived threat to Freedom of Expression in the media or to journalists, maintain such a cowardly and humiliating silence when brutal attacks on the Freedom of Expression of individuals, both children and adults are carried out by the LTTE?

Is it that they consider this an inevitable consequence of a "low intensity war", "a sliding into war" or a "no war- no peace situation"? Or, is it that today's champions of Freedom of Expression are simply too scared to tell the world the truth about the LTTE's total disregard for Freedom of Expression, as well as other aspects of democracy such as Political Pluralism, repeatedly demonstrated by it? Or, worse, do they profit by such silence?

Not surprisingly, a group of such champions of Freedom of Expression went to Kilinochchi and returned very satisfied by the assurance of the LTTE's Thamilchelvan that it had nothing to do with the warning leaflets recently received by Tamil journalists in the State media.

It was strange to see these ardent "candlelight vigilantes" for Freedom of Expression eat off the hand of a leader of the organization that killed Rajini Thiranagama, and so many other Tamil journalists, writers, and others who did not agree with its policies of terror.

"If you can't beat the bandit, join him", seems to be what motivates them when it comes to attacks on Freedom of Expression from the LTTE.

True to his name, in his death young Sathyan has exposed the truth about these hollow but loud champions of Freedom of Expression today.