Female Journalist Under Threat in Sri Lanka

ASA 37/021/2009

Journalist and media rights activist, Dileesha Abeysundera is in danger after a gang of unidentified people threatened her and tried to forcefully gain access to her property in Sri Lanka on 28 September.

Dileesha Abeysundera is an award winning journalist for the newspaper Irundia, known for highly critical coverage of the Sri Lankan government, and the Deputy Secretary of the Free Media Movement and Secretary of the National Forum for Journalists in Sri Lanka. She believes the gang threatened her because of her work campaigning for media rights. She had organised and attended a meeting on 28 September, calling for the abolition of what she has publically stated as the ‘draconian provisions in the Press Council Act.’

In Sri Lanka, at least 14 media workers have been killed since 2006. White vans, which were present in this case, have been used in many abductions and enforced disappearances in Sri Lanka particularly since 2006, when state agents and paramilitary groups allied to the government stepped up attacks on critics of the government.

Please send appeals immediately, calling on the Sri Lankan authorities to:

• ensure the safety of Dileesha Abeysundera;
• investigate the intimidation of Dileesha Abeysundera and attacks on other Sri Lankan journalists and media workers;
• abolish or reform legislations that are being used to suppress the right to freedom of expression and put an end to the climate of impunity that has allowed a long campaign, by state agents and paramilitary groups, of intimidation and violence against independent journalists in Sri Lanka

Please send appeals immediately, and before November 18, to:

His Excellency the President
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Presidential Secretariat
Colombo 1, Sri Lanka
Fax: +94 11 2446657
(Salutation: Your Excellency)

Inspector General of Police
Jayantha Wickramaratne
Sri Lanka Police Headquarters
101/1 Kew Road, Colombo 2
Sri Lanka
Fax: + 94 11 244 6174
(Salutation: Dear Inspector General)

Please send copies to the chapter of Sri Lankan foreign mission closest to you.

Rachael's letter below:

Rachael Brown
[personal address omitted]


His Excellency the President
Mahinda Rajapaksa
Presidential Secretariat
Colombo 1
SRI LANKA
Fax: +94 11 2446657

RE: Threats to female journalist, Dileesha Abeysundera

Your Excellency the President,

My name is Rachael Brown. I am an Australian citizen, and a PhD Candidate at the
Australian National University.

I am writing concerning a threat to both the human rights of journalists and the right to
freedom of expression in your country, bought to my attention by Amnesty International. In
particular, I am calling upon you to act to ensure the safety of Dileesha Abeysundera, award
winning journalist for the Sri Lankan newspaper, Irundia (part of The Leader Group).

Ms Abeysundera and other Sri Lankan journalists and media workers have reported being
threatened and intimidated as a consequence of their work promoting freedom of expression,
I urge you to investigate these matters and bring those responsible to justice.

I also call for you to abolish or reform legislations that are being used to suppress the right to freedom of expression and put an end to the climate of impunity that has allowed a long campaign, by state agents and paramilitary groups, of intimidation and violence against independent journalists in Sri Lanka.

Thank you for taking the time to read my concerns, I trust you will act upon them in due
course.

Yours sincerely,

Rachael Brown