திஸ்ஸநாயகத்திற்கு 20வருட கடூழியச் சிறைதண்டனை

7 thoughts on “திஸ்ஸநாயகத்திற்கு 20வருட கடூழியச் சிறைதண்டனை”

1. There can be no leniencies towards indicting and incarcerating through the Nation’s Justice System, anyone who violates this to the extent of publishing treasonous material which the journalist in question J.S. Tissainayagam has been found guilty of. Harsh thought the judgement may be in the eyes of some it seems a necessary one!
   His bold and excessively exaggerated articles in the now-defunct Northeastern Monthly magazine in 2006 and 2007 which criticized the Government’s conduct of the war against the Tamil Tiger rebels and accused authorities of withholding food and other essential items from Tamil-majority areas as a tool of war has cost him dearly.
   He should however consider himself fortunate as perhaps if this had happened in a country like China the punishment would have been much more severe. There is nothing to justify such publications by a journalist regardless of whether he has won the highest Awards France could offer to a Journalist or whether US President Barack Obama has cited him as a brave individual as it is still a violation of A Sovereign Democratic Nation’s Laws of The Land and a felony!
   There is no getting behind the fact that the subject content of journalist Tissainayagam in these publications for which he was jailed was directed at the Government of Sri Lanka and the conviction, 17 months after the ethnic Tamil reporter was arrested, which was the first time a journalist was found guilty of violating the country’s Prevention of Terrorism Act in Sri Lanka and could possibly not be the last!
   On the issue of Human Rights groups having accused the Government of waging a broad crackdown on media freedoms, despite the hoopla and hype involved there should be no qualms about carrying out the relevant justice and meting out punishments as the person charged must well have known the existence of the Prevention of Terrorism Act unless he was impared or ignorant of the Act and the severe penalties it carries which if true has only himself and his associates to blame and the Government of Sri Lanka has done well in executing the ratified penalties which go with the related issue despite International bickering that has continued since the complete demise of the rebels by Government Forces which ended the Nation’s long standing internal armed insurrection by the Tamil Tigers in May.
   Labelling Tissainayagam, a prisoner of conscience by Amnesty International bears little relevance to the greater importance of how he seems to have conveniently circumvented reporting in accuracy the attrocities of the Tamil Tigers who almost destroyed and nearly brought the Nation of Sri Lanka to her knees through years of armed terrorism and that’s where the real conscience should be rather than the definition of Amnesty which as usual has chosen to interfere into the internal affairs of a Sovereign Nation which is not obliged to dance to Amnesty’s or for that matter anyone else’s tunes for the purpose of their convenience whilst attracting cheap global publicity in the process which the group is particularly known for according to many observers.
   Mr Tissainayagam was arrested in March 2008 and indicted five months later under the Anti-Terror Law.
   During his World Press Freedom Day address in May and consequently US President Barack Obama highlighted Tissainayagam’s case as an example of journalists being jailed or harassed for doing their jobs which has become purely a matter of US presidential opinion which does not seem to acknowledge the severity of Tissainayagam’s motivations where it has been proven that he has openly colluded with the Tamil Tigers and therein lies the severity of Tissainayagam’s actions which has provoked Governmental response. Has the President also forgotten some of the Prisoners being held in Guantanamo Bay whose criminalities have yet to be proven despite languishing in jail cells with ball and chains around their legs whose only crime as apparent in some cases is being at the wrong place at the wrong time whereas Tissainayagam has obviously flaunted the Law in Sri Lanka and committed treason in the eyes of the Law!!
   When in June 2009, the Government with no mincing of words has unequivocally said it would re-establish a powerful Press Council with the authority to jail journalists it finds guilty of defamation or inaccurate reporting it has taken a very appropriate stand with a no nonsense attitude and zero tolerance towards false news reporting which seems rampant and rife in Sri Lanka in these days and at times not only misleading and exaggerated but also very malicious orchestrated by sympathisers of the Tamil Tigers.
   The Government has every right to defend the credibilities of the Nation as the Tamils Tigers the world knows now are a vanquised entity! The ony logical conclusion one can arrive at regarding the Tissainayagam verdict is that Breaching Protocols governing press freedoms relative to the Prevention of Terrorism Act to pander to terrorists is illegal regardless of who gets sanctimonious about it!

2. The reporter was intelligent enough to understand that according to the PTA publishing treasonous material will get him into trouble, but he went ahead anyway with writing and publishing bold and excessively exaggerated articles in the now-defunct Northeastern Monthly magazine in 2006 and 2007 which criticized the government’s conduct against the Tamil Tiger terrorists, who were from the same ethnic community as he is.

   When the Government of Sri Lanka has every right to impose conditions of zero tolerance towards false reporting and defend the credibility of the Nation, then what is the problem? Is it because the reporter was a Tamil and should have been allowed to support the now defunct Tamil Tiger terrorists who were at war with a democratically elected Government for the want of their separate state, Eelam; or is it because he was that much special and should have been given the freedom to breach protocols governing press freedom; or is it because Barak Obama weighed in to support a reporter who challenged a country’s laws who were pandering to the most ruthless terrorist outfit in the world? I just don’t get it.

   Let’s not be silly about it and make a big issue of this judgement. After all, he had a lawyer of his choice to defend him, when the prosecuting lawyer said, “The constitution itself gives freedom of the press, but that doesn’t allow anybody to spread false information to spur ethnic violence.”

   This hue and cry over the judgement is utter nonsense.

3. Nitharsanam Thanks for sharing the information.

   Please note that Tissanayagam was not arrested on the basis of any ongoing investigation against him. He was arrested at the Police station when he went to find out as to why his Co-workers Jaseetharan and his wife Valarmathy were taken to the Police Station.
   By the Sri Lankan Courts, that it is wrong to arrest a person and then search for evidence to indict him.
   Regards,
   Canadian

   Below is a statement from New Democrat leader Jack Layton on the 20-year sentence of J.S. Tissainayagam and the current situation in Sri Lanka.

   Statement by New Democrat Leader Jack Layton on the 20-year sentence of J.S. Tissainayagam and the situation in Sri Lanka

   I am deeply saddened to learn that the Sri Lankan courts have sentenced journalist J.S. Tissainayagam to 20 years in prison for criticizing the actions of the Sri Lankan government during the recent conflict.

   J.S. Tissainayagam was only guilty of telling the truth. He wrote articles in 2006 and 2007 that accused government forces of bombing towns to drive out their populations, and alleging that authorities withheld food and other resources from Tamil-majority areas as an act of revenge. President Barack Obama recognized him as an example of the “distressing reality” of journalists being harassed or jailed for doing their job. Amnesty International has labelled him a prisoner of conscience. Without the bravery of journalists like Tissainayagam, much that should be known would have remained hidden – especially to those not in Sri Lanka to bear witness.

   In recent days, I was disturbed by video footage from independent journalists reporting that government troops were executing civilians in Sri Lanka. Naked, blindfolded and bound, these men were shot at point-blank in the back of the head. Although it is difficult to verify the authenticity of the videos and photos, such violence must cease and the truth of events in Sri Lanka must be known – the truth sought by Tissainayagam and journalists like him.

   I again sincerely urge Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapaksa to fulfill his promise to protect Tamils and give them equal rights. I also urge him to allow independent observers and journalists into IDP camps and the region to provide an accurate, impartial picture of what is happening on the ground today.

   As the situation continues to worsen, Canada has an obligation to exert all possible diplomatic pressure to prevent further tragedy in Sri Lanka. Prime Minister Harper must not turn a blind eye to the ongoing tragedy in Sri Lanka.

4. Chandran Raja,
   I think Canadian foreign minister have more to say than your cheap politics. Read his comments ::

   September 2, 2009 (2:15 p.m. EDT)
   No. 243

   Statement by Minister Cannon on Sri Lanka’s Sentencing of Journalist

   The Honourable Lawrence Cannon, Minister of Foreign Affairs, today issued the following statement on the sentencing of Jayaprakash Sittampalam (J.S.) Tissainayagam, a Sri Lankan journalist:

   “The Government of Canada is deeply concerned by the sentencing of J.S. Tissainayagam to 20 years in prison for violating Sri Lanka’s Prevention of Terrorism Act.

   “Canada is a strong proponent of vibrant and free media, an essential element of democratic governance in Sri Lanka and around the world. Open and informed debate remains vital to long-term reconciliation and reconstruction in Sri Lanka.

   “Canada supports the advancement of freedom, democracy, human rights and the rule of law for all countries of the world.”

   – 30 –

   For further information, media representatives may contact:

   Natalie Sarafian
   Press Secretary
   Office of the Minister of Foreign Affairs
   613-995-1851

   Foreign Affairs Media Relations Office
   Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada
   613-995-1874

5. அரசாங்கத்தின் அராஜகத்தை எழுதுகோல் கொண்டு எதிர்த்த திசநாயகத்திற்கு 20 வருடசிறைத் தண்டனை! ஆயதமேந்தி சிங்களவர்களை கொன்று குவித்த கருணாவுக்கு அமைச்சர்பதவி? வாழ்க மோட்டுச் சிங்களவனின் நீதித்துறை!!

6. ஒண்ணும் தெரியாத சாமி !
   எங்கள் பிள்ளைகளை பலி எடுத்த பலி கொடுத்த புலியின் காசில் புலிக்காக வக்காலத்து வாங்கிய திசை தெரியாத திஸ்ஸநாயகத்துக்கு கொடுத்த தண்டனை போதாது

7. பாதுகாப்பு சம்பந்தமான சேதிகளை வெளியிடுவோரும் பத்திரிகைகள் இணையத் தளங்களும் மிகவும் பொறுப்புடன் நடந்து கொள்வது அவசியமானதொன்றாகும். தாம் வெளியிடுகின்ற செய்திகளால் மக்கள் பயனடைந்து கொள்வதென்பது வேறு பயங்கரவாதிகளும் அதனோடு பின்னிப் பிணைந்த உளவுத் துறையினரும் பயனடைந்து கொள்வதென்பது வேறு. இதனை மனதிலிறுத்தி தம் பணி செய்யும் எந்தவொரு பொறுப்புள்ள ஊடகவியலாளரும் போற்றப்பட வேண்டியவர்களே. மாறாக தகாதவற்றிற்காகவும் சுய நலன்களுக்காகவும் ஊடகத் துறையையும் தமது ஊடகவியலாளர் என்ற துருப்புச் சீட்டையும் பயன்படுத்தத் துணிவார்களாயின் சட்டப்படியான அவர்களின் கைதுகள் குறித்தோ அல்லது நீதிமன்றத் தண்டனைகள் குறித்தோ கவலைப்படாது அவற்றுக்கெதிராக போர்க் கொடி தூக்குவதையும் அறிக்கைகள் விடுவதையும் முற்றாக விடுத்து சாதாரண மனிதன் செய்கின்ற குற்றத்திற்கு வழங்கப்படுகின்ற தண்டனையை விடவும் பொறுப்பிலுள்ள இவர்களுக்கான தண்டனையை இரு மடங்காக கொடுக்கும் படி நீதி மன்றங்களை தாழ்மையுடன் வேண்ட யாவரும் ஒன்று படுவார்களாயின் வையகம் சிறக்கும். ஊடக சுதந்திரமும் நிலைக்கும். நாட்டின் இறையாண்மையும் சட்ட ஒழுங்குகளும் நிலை நாட்டப்படும். இறைமையுள்ள ஒரு நாட்டின் கொள்ளைகள் சட்டதிட்டங்களை சீர்குலைக்கக் கூடிய செய்திகளும் ஊடகங்களும் ஊடகவியலாளர்களும் சட்டத்தின் முன்னிலையில் தண்டிக்கப்படுகின்ற வேளையில் அதனை அரசின் அத்து மீறல் என்று கூறுவது எந்த வகையில் நியாயமாகும்?ஒரு போலீஸ் உத்தியோகத்தரோ வழக்கறிஞரோ குற்றமிழைக்கின்ற வேளையில் அவரும் சாதாரண மனிதன் போன்று விசாரணைக்கும் தண்டனைக்கும் ஆளாவதில்லையா? அதே போன்றுதான் ஊடகவியாளர்கள் எனும் தொழிலாளர்களும் குற்றவாளிகளாக சந்தேகிக்கப்படுகையில் விசாரணைக்குட்படுத்தப்படுவதும் குற்றம் நிரூபிக்கப்படுகையில் தண்டனைக்குட்படுத்தப்படுவதும் ஒன்றும் சட்டத்திற்கு அப்பாற்பட்ட ஒன்றாக இருக்க முடியாது.