Background: Thissanayagam Case and Others
 The Constitution of the Democratic Socialist Republic
of Sri Lanka (1977) recognizes freedom of speech, expression and
publication as fundamental rights of all citizens of the country. This
in turn gives the constitutional recognition and protection for media
freedom in the country.
However, like any other country in the world, Sri
Lanka too imposes pro bono restrictions on the exercise of freedom of
expression, speech and publications. This is simply because of the
possibility that this freedom can be misused for many purposes,
including damage to the nation's solidarity. Therefore, freedom of media
in Sri Lanka is subject to the legal restrictions imposed in the
interests of racial and religious harmony, with regard to parliamentary
privilege, contempt of court, defamation or inducement to an offence,
and some others too considered necessary for the good of society.
It should be noted that in the context armed
hostilities, the belligerents could use the media as an effective weapon
to carryout out psychological warfare and propaganda against each other.
When it comes to unconventional warfare, such as terrorist warfare;
psychological operations and propaganda operate in extremely subtle form
that it becomes a laborious task to differentiate between true media
work and mendacity of propaganda.
Terrorists usually lure people who are already work in
the media through money or other benefits or attractions, to make them
to carry out propaganda work using the platform of the mass media. These
media willing or unwilling agents of terrorism always appear to act as
independent journalists and some even as the self-proclaimed crusaders
of media freedom in order to prevent disclosure of their true motives.
Due to these circumstances, Sri Lanka has categorized
misuses of the freedoms of speech, expression and publication including
media freedom by terrorists as offences under Prevention of Terrorism
Act (1979). Therefore, any person who causes or intends to cause
violence, or racial or religious disharmony or feeling of ill will or
hostility between different communities by his/her words, spoken or by
any other way of expression, is a terrorist.
Propaganda elements of LTTE terrorists of Sri Lanka
use a threefold strategy to carry out their operations. They promote
communalism among the Tamil Diaspora around the world, justify the
LTTE's terrorism and persuade Tamils to fund the terror outfit. On the
other hand, they spread fabricated stories on the human rights situation
in the country and attempt to bring international pressure against the
government fighting against terrorism. They adapt a defensive strategy
to avoid them being cracked down by the law by acting as some kind of
crusaders of media freedom in the country.
These self-proclaimed media freedom fighters often
file reports full of invective, quoting various incidents of what they
call "attacks on independent media workers". These reports invariably
contain false facts related to the quoted incidents or expose only the
half-truths to support the hidden agenda of their originators. This
report filed by defence.lk exposes the true facts of a few such
incidents, often quoted as the gravest attacks on media freedom in Sri
Lanka by bogus media rights groups.
Jayeprakash Tissanayagam
Personal Profile in brief
 Mr.
Jayeprakash Tissanayagam was born in 1964 at Inuvil in Jaffna . He was
an old boy of St. Thomas College , Mount Lavinia and graduated in
political science at University of Peradeniya . He had started his
career as a journalist at the Sunday Times in 1987, but later shifted to
the NGO sector. According to Mr. Tissanayagam's career history shown
below, he can be recognized more as a career NGO worker than a
journalist.
Origin
Mr. Tissanayagam is the only recognized journalist who
has been taken into custody on suspicion of having connections with
terrorist activities, by the Terrorist Investigation Department (TID) of
the Police. 06 March 2008, the TID raided two neighbouring offices at a
Shopping complex of Kotahena, down Jampettah Street on reliable
information that the LTTE had been running a press and a web-based
propaganda institute there. During the raid it was found that a press
owned by one Mr. Jaseekaran had been running under the name E-kuality
Graphics Private Ltd , at the No 12 , Jampettah Street , Colombo 13. The
next-door office at the No 12, was that of Outreach Multimedia Private
Ltd.
TID initially took Mr. Jaseekaran and Miss Valarmadhi
into custody. Later, on the information revealed during the
investigations, Mr. Tissanayagam was taken in to custody on 07 March
2008.
Alleged fabrication
The arrest of Mr. Jayeprakash Tissanayagam and his
accomplices was shown to the world as the government's arbitrary arrest
of a group of independent journalists. The suspect's long-time
hobnobbing with various foreign funded NGOs and his career as a
journalist gave a snowballing effect to the story. Many international
civil rights groups, foreign embassies, INGOs without making a slightest
effort to verify the facts have started sending heaps of letters to the
law enforcement authorities to release the suspects.
Background
According to the statement made by Mr. Tissanayagam,
he had come into close terms with known LTTE propagandist Dharmaratne
Sivaram alias Taraki while he had been working for the Sunday Leader in
1999. Together with Taraki, Mr. Tissanayagam had toured the Trincomalee,
Batticaloa and Vavuniya areas where the LTTE was then very active.
Taraki was the editor of "Tamilnet", the LTTE's official mouthpiece on
the Internet, and known to be the mastermind behind the all-Goebbelsian
propaganda of the outfit that spread out its tribal ideologies. As
result of this connection with Taraki, Mr. Tissanayagam had quit the
Sunday Leader and started a pro LTTE magazine named North Eastern Herald
with Taraki in 2002.
Mr. Tissanayagam further stated that he had joined
North Eastern Herald because it drew lot of foreign funds and therefore
he found it to be very profitable to work there. An office affiliated to
the Switzerland Embassy named SIDA had been its main financer. The
directors of the company formed to carryout the publication were,
Dharmaratne Sivaram , Shivakumar, and Yuvialan Thangarajh (A lecturer at
Eastern University ). The magazine had been published up to November
2005, until SIDA stopped funding to the company. The main objective of
making money through foreign aid for which the company was started was
no longer achievable. According to Mr. Tissanayagam, a person named
Karuniyan Arulanandan had agreed to provide funds to keep the company
alive but failed in his part.
What was interesting about the above mentioned
business venture was that it was carried out mainly to draw foreign
funds and seemed to have no any intention of becoming a self-financing
business. Its main business, the publication of the magazine too had no
market penetration but was mainly published as an opinion maker in
favour of the LTTE at international forums. Like many such organizations
run by foreign funds, the business made easy money for the people
involved and ceased to exist as the financer turned its back. This is
the bitter truth of many bogus rights activists in this part of the
world.
In 2004, the main suspect of the case, Vetrivale
Jaseekaran had come to meet Mr. Tissanayagam and proposed him to start
another venture that can draw a good amount of foreign funds. According
to Mr. Tissanayagam, he had come to know Mr. Jaseekaran via another
journalist in 2000, during one of his tours to Batticaloa. Consequently,
a company named Renaissance Publication and Guarantee Limited had come
in to operation under the directorship of Jayeparkash Tissanayagam,
Vetrivale Jaseekaran, Kathiravale Vignashwaran, Balasubramaniam
Wasanthan alias Shivakumar, Rohitha Bhashana Abeywaradane, Sathasivan
Baskaran, and Vadivelu Valarmadhi. The company had started its office at
No 82, Bandaranayake Mawatha, and Colombo 12 and started publishing a
pro-LTTE magazine- North Eastern Monthly since February 2004.
The North Eastern Monthly had been published under the
direct guidance of LTTE and its content therefore had been aimed at
subtly promoting tribal and sectarian ideologies championed by the LTTE.
It has been found that LTTE had directly funded the organization through
its agents in Colombo.
In early 2006, Mr. Tissanayagam together with Mr.
Jaseekaran had started another company named Outreach Multimedia Private
Ltd. According to the evidence revealed so far, this new company had
been started at the behest of the LTTE with the aim of carrying out
internet-based propaganda for the terrorist outfit. The company
directors were Mr. Tissanayagam, Mr. Jaseekaran and another individual
named Terald Abeygunawardane. The last individual, Mr. Terald
Abeygunawardane is currently in hiding to avoid police arrest.
After starting the new company, Mr. Tissanayagam and
the team had made a proposal to another INGO named FLICT with the aim of
finding much desired foreign funding. As per the evidence, the company
had made a written proposal to the INGO requesting 2.3 million rupees in
2006 in order to start a fully equipped web- based media organization.
However, for some unknown reason the INGO had not considered the
proposal serious enough, and had not been very quick to release the
funds. As a result the disheartened entrepreneurs had lost their
interest on the new project but continued their activities in the
Renaissance Publication and Guarantee Ltd.
In mid 2005, Mr. Tissanayagam had come into close
contact with a hardcore LTTE cadre called Baba. On the instruction of
Baba, Mr. Tissanayagam had met LTTE heads in Kilinochchi at least twice
in 2005 and 2006. The North East Monthly had been published every month
during 2005-2006 periods adhering to the guidance provided by the LTTE.
As the evidence had started to pile up, Mr.
Tissanayagam admitted that Baba had given him money for publishing the
magazine. However, Mr. Tissanayagam had testified that he had refused
the money offers made by Baba saying that someday the police may track
him down. The TID had found that Baba had deposited 50,000 rupees at
least on 3 occasions at an account that belonged the Renaissance
Publication, at the Hatton National, Bank, Kotahena. Finally in early
2007, Mr. Tissanayagam seemed to have got cold feet of drawing direct
funds from a terror outfit and stopped publishing the propaganda
magazine in June 2007, as the company could not find any other source of
funding.
Thereafter, Mr. Tissanayagam had joined another INGO
named ITI (One Text Initiative), established for "peace building" in
this country in 2007. During this time he had also worked as a freelance
journalist for The Sunday Times.
However, responding to the early request made by the
Outreach Multi Media, the INGO, FLICT had suddenly decided to provide
950,000 rupees to Mr. Tissanayagam and the team in early 2008. With this
sudden fortune, the team of directors had reorganized themselves and re-
launched the website www.outreach.sl.
It can be reasonably suspected with the available
evidence that Mr. Tissanayagam had obtained money from LTTE knowingly
that it is a terrorist organization. Also, it is worthwhile to note that
Mr. Tissanayagam had received the payments of which the TID has
substantial proof, during a time when the LTTE was carrying out many
civilian massacres, bus bombings, train bombings etc. If Mr.
Tissanayagam was a responsible citizen, he could have come to the police
and revealed the information he knew about the terror agents in Colombo
.
However, the possibility cannot be ruled out that Mr.
Tissanayagam was actually another individual like those free media
fighters who had been lured by the terrorist outfit exploiting his greed
for money. This possibility comes to the surface when looking at the
profile of Mr. Jaseekaran , the main suspect of the case.
Mr. Tissanayagam has been indicted under the
Prevention of Terrorism Act and the case is being heard at the courts.
Vetrivail Jaseekaran alias Jasee
Personal Profile in brief
 Mr.
Vetrivale Jaseekaran was born in 1973 in Kallar, Batticaloa. He was a
son of a government village officer and had education up to GCE ordinary
level at Kallaru Government School. Also, he had followed a course on
basic computer operation at a private institution in Kalmunai in 1993.
He had started his career as a typesetter at a pro LTTE newspaper called
"Saranihal" in 1993 and later worked as a local reporter to few LTTE
newspapers and websites including Tamil Net.
Alleged Fabrication
The arrest and detention of Mr. Jaseekaran was shown
to the world as a gross violation of media freedom. The perpetrators
behind these false allegations introduced the suspect as an independent
Tamil journalist but refrained from revealing his involvement with the
terrorist propaganda work.
Background
During inquires Mr. Jaseekaran ( Mr. J)had revealed
the true nature of the kind of "media work" that he had been involved
in.
In 1993, he had come to Colombo to work as a
typesetter at the LTTE funded newspaper "Saranihal". This newspaper was
run by one of the key agents in the LTTE propaganda machinery,
Subramaniyan Wasanthan alias Shivakumar. In 1994, Mr. J had returned to
Batticaloa to work as a local reporter for LTTE publications. He had
been employed in this task till 2000 by the LTTE.
Also, the suspect has confessed that he had been an
LTTE intelligence agent in Batticaloa since the mid 90s. He had provided
intelligence on security forces movements, deployments, political
developments, etc in the east to LTTE intelligence wing leader Atpudan
Master. He had been used to convey this information through telephone
and through LTTE informants and also by meeting Atpudan Master himself,
at Kokkadicholai LTTE camp. He has admitted that the LTTE had bombed an
Army bus killing two soldiers and 4 civilians in 1996 in Sathurukoondan
on information given by him.
Contrary to Mr. Tissanayagam's claim that he had got
to know LTTE agent Taraki after 1999, Mr. J stated that he had met
Taraki along with Tissanayagam in Batticaloa in 1996. They had
instructed the suspect on filing reports to media justifying crimes
committed by LTTE terrorists including village massacres, bus bombings
etc. Other than "Saranihal", the suspect has worked as a reporter for
the Tamilnet website and the Vidvanam and the Thinakadir newspapers.
Also, he had conducted psychological operations for the LTTE from 1998
to 2000 through a street drama group called Theatre Action Group.
In 2000, the suspect had started a printing press
under the name Thamilachchi Print and Publisher in Batticaloa. According
to Mr. J, Atpudan Master had funded the business. Mr. J had operated the
press for the LTTE until 2003 but fled to Colombo as the looming
internal rift between Prabhakaran and then LTTE commander for the East
Karuna Amman had adversely affected his work.
In Colombo, the suspects had started another printing
press for the LTTE under the name E-kuality graphics in 2002. The
suspect told the police that LTTE agent Taraki had given money to buy
the office space at no 315, Jampettah Street , Colombo 13 to start the
business. Later, the suspect had obtained funds directly from the LTTE
to run the business. Since March 2002, the suspect along with
Shivakuamar had run the business for the LTTE under their names. The
press had published an LTTE publication named "Swadesha Ilandu"
targeting the Tamil Diaspora in France to provide them with misleading
information about the country's situation.
The suspect in his confession also revealed that he
had been acting as an informant to the LTTE. He had provided information
on Colombo security arrangements and VIP movements to his handler Karan
at Kilinochchi, several times a week via telephone. Police found several
notebooks containing comprehensive details of senior military officers
and their family members in the possession of the suspect. Also, it was
found during the investigations that the suspect had harboured LTTE
cadres sent for various terrorist activities in Colombo at the E-Kwalily
Graphic office at No. 82, Bandaranayake Mawatha , Colombo 12.
In his confession, the suspect revealed that he had
been asked to start an English magazine by the LTTE to propagate the
outfit's view to the world. Consequently, the suspect had opened another
company under the name Renaissance Publication Private Limited and
started publishing Northeastern Monthly in February 2004.
According to the suspect the financial management of
the Renaissance Publication Private Limited was solely handled by Mr.
Tissanayagam. The bank account of the company was kept at Hatton
National Bank at Aluthkade (No: 0010361214). Also, he had revealed that
Mr. Tisssanayagam had visited Kilinochchi several times and obtained
necessary orders from the terrorist leaders there.
In December 2005, Mr. J had received orders and funds
as well from the LTTE to start the website for the outfit to carryout
its propaganda campaign. In May 2006, Mr. J, Mr. Tissanayagam and Mr.
Teral Abeygunawardane had opened another company named Outreach
Multimedia Private Limited and started the website www.outreachsl.com.
Mr. Jasi has been indicted under the Prevention of
Terrorism Act and the case is being heard in the courts.
Vadivalu Valarmadi
Personal profile in brief
Miss. Vadivalu Valarmadi was born in 1976 at Manipai,
Jaffna. She had her education at Palali Government School and
Atchchuveli Government School. She obtained her bachelors degree in fine
arts at University of Jaffna and later obtained her Master's Degree in
India. Her father was also a public servant. At the time of the arrest
she was an employee of MTV/Sirasa Media Company.
Alleged Fabrication
The arrest of the suspect was shown to the world as an
arbitrary arrest of an independent media worker.
Background
Miss. Vadivelu Valarmadi was taken to custody along
with Mr. Jasi, for her involvement in terrorist activities. She was one
of the directors of the Renaissance Publication Private Limited; a
company invested by a terrorist outfit. At the time of the arrest she
had identified herself as the wife of Mr. Vetrivale Jaseekaran, however,
it was later found that she was not married to the latter.
Police investigations found several pictures of the
suspect taken with armed LTTE cadres including former LTTE leader for
the East, Karuna Amman in a laptop computer found with the suspect.
Miss Vadivelu Valarmadi has been indicted under the
Prevention of Terrorism Act and the case is being heard in the courts.
[ More...to be continued]
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