Erstellt am: 23. 1. 2009 - 18:46 Uhr
Chronicle of a Death Foretold
"When finally I am killed, it will be the government that kills me", wrote Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge in an editorial that was printed after his death. The editor of the critical Sunday Leader had been beaten and threatened many times before two masked motorcyclists shot him down on a Colombo street on January 8th this year. He knew the dangers he was running by, in his own words, saying it "like we see it: whether it be a spade, a thief or a murderer."
Uncomfortable Reading
For nearly two decades, the island has scarred by a bitter civil war arising out of ethnic tensions between the Tamil Tigers, who are fighting for a separate homeland for the Tamil ethnic group, and the government which is dominated by the majority Buddhist Sinhalese ethnic group.
More than 50,000 people have been killed in the violence, many of them civilians.
This made uncomfortable reading for many Sri Lankans, including for those in positions of power. Leader's damning criticism of the Tamil Tigers for their campaign of terror against the civilian population was counter-balanced by condemnation of the army's heavy handed tactics and the paper made no secret, in Wickrematunge's words, of "our horror that Sri Lanka is the only country in the world routinely to bomb its own citizens." As well as providing Sri Lanka with a loud voice of independent opinion, the paper also featured investigative journalism that exposed corruption scandals and human rights violations.
Heavy Price
The penalties of such forthrightness were severe. The paper's offices were raided twice, and employees complained of being threatened, but Wickrematunge said, "The Sunday Leader has never sought safety by unquestioningly articulating the majority view." His own refusal to seek safety, despite a mounting number of threatening phone calls, led to his violent death this month.
This was a shock, but not quite the surprise it should have been. After Iraq, Sri Lanka is considered to be the second most dangerous country in the world for journalists to work in. According to the International Press Institute, Wickrematunga was the 15th journalist to have been killed since 2004. The IPI has complained of "a culture of impunity and indifference".
Swept Under The Carpet
Wickrematunga clearly thought that he was going to be killed by the government. I asked the IPI's Uta Melzer if she gave credence to this idea: "I don’t think we are at the point where we can safely start pointing fingers at anyone, but this has to be thoroughly investigated."
EPA/M.A.PUSHPA KUMARA
Yet Wickrematunga was grimly convinced that the death that he had foretold would be swept under the carpet, as he felt had the cases of the 14 other journalists killed before him. He predicted, chillingly, "In the wake of my death I know you will make all the usual sanctimonious noises and call upon the police to hold a swift and thorough inquiry. But like all the inquiries you have ordered in the past, nothing will come of this one, too."
Increasing Self Censorship
The death of a brave man is a tragedy, but the loss to the country could be greater if the shockwaves of fear lead to a greater self-censorship in the Sri Lankan media. Uta Melzer fears that that is exactly what is happening in Sri Lanka right now.
She says that coverage of the conflict has become impossible since journalists are so used to facing threats and violence as a consequence of writing about the conflict that they are simply beginning to avoid the topic entirely, "so this spirit of self-censorship has led to a complete blackout of independent reports on a very important topic."
Badge of Honour
Wickrematunga leaves a grieving wife and three children behind. His family has reportedly been hurt by internet bloggers and posters labeling the journalist unpatriotic. It seems many saw Wickrematunga's scathing attacks on Sri Lankan society as proof that he was the Sri Lankan "Nestbeschmutzer".
The journalist himself would probably have been saddened but fundamentally unworried about these slurs on his reputation. The free media he said should "serve as a mirror in which the public can see itself sans mascara and styling gel." He wanted to help people swallow uncomfortable truths about the often ugly society they live in.
"If this be treachery", he concluded, "we wear that label proudly".