Attacks on media: JHU wants Govt to expose culprits

Chamikara WEERASINGHE

The Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU) has called upon the Government to expose those behind the attack on Sirasa media complex and the murder of senior journalist Lasantha Wickremetunga stating that this holds the key to unveil those national and international forces attempting to bring the Government into disrepute.

JHU Legal Advisor Udaya Gammanpila said the Government is at the helm of its popularity and respect for what it has done to defeat terrorism.

“On the contrary, neither the Sirasa TV channel nor Lasantha Wickrematunga were of any threat to the Government.”

Gammanpila was speaking at a press conference organised by the JHU at the Library and Documentation Services Board Auditorium, Colombo on Wednesday where they disclosed their stand on the country’s current political situation.

“If what Lasantha was doing had any effect, the Government should have been defeated by now,” he pointed out.

He said Western forces aligned with their local counterparts attempt to embarrass the Government for having defeated the LTTE. They are conspiring to cause public dissatisfaction and panic, he added. Gammanpila warned that one could expect similar incidents under the present circumstances to discredit the Government.

“They haven’t made any demand from the LTTE to release Tamil civilians held by them at gun point in the North, but they have started talking about political solutions even before the problem of terrorism has been fully dealt with,” he said.

“Why don’t they come out and make an open demand from the the LTTE to release the Tamil civilians held by them in the Vanni,” Gammanpila said.