‘Lankan judiciary system independent’

Nadira Gunatilleke

The Sri Lankan judiciary system is much more independent than judiciaries in some developed countries. The best example was the Sri Lankan judiciary giving certain judgments against the Government. Therefore there is no need to discuss about judgments, Information and Media Minister and Cabinet spokesman, Anura Priyadarshana Yapa said.

Addressing the weekly Cabinet press briefing at the Government Information Department Auditorium yesterday, Minister Yapa said there is no connection whatsoever between media freedom of Sri Lanka and Tissanayagam judgment because he was prosecuted under the Prevention of Terrorism Act, 1979 for assisting terrorism not for something related to the media.

According to Minister Yapa, the Sri Lankan judiciary system is very methodical and Tissanayagam had opportunities to defend himself during the trial. Now he can appeal against the judgment to the Court of Appeal and then to the Supreme Court. Therefore it is not relevant at all to create a connection between media freedom of Sri Lanka and this specific Court case and there is no point in accusing the Government of `trying to curb media freedom’.

The Government has already protested against the fabricated video clip telecast over Channel 4 and the Government will take further steps in connection with the issue.

The statement made by MP Mangala Samaraweera in connection with IDPs is something very ridiculous because the resettlement process has already commenced and IDPs have already been resettled in some areas.

It is going on in Mannar and Vavuniya. Resettlement will commence in all other areas as soon as land-mines are cleared, the Minister said.

The LTTE used IDPs and pushed them from one location to another. But the Government provided them food, water, medicine and even telephone facilities after welcoming them as one large community of nearly 300,000 persons.

The UNP secured only 83 votes in the Jaffna Local Government Election and it shows the gap in popularity between the UNP and the Government. What Samaraweera is doing is purely acting in desperation and anger for what he could not gain. He said the former Army Commander was not suitable to lead even the Salvation Army but can he say it again now ? Can he say the President is not popular and not having the public support ?, the Minister challenged.