Kumaran Pathmanathan has to be used to break down the LTTE network

Kumaran Pathmanathan has to be used to break down the LTTE network


– Minister Champika Ranawaka
2010-08-26
JHU Secretary Minister Champika Ranawaka has said the party was of the view that Kumaran Pathmanathan needed to be used to completely destroy the remnants of Tamil Eelam separatism and terrorism that still linger locally and internationally.

He says the JHU stance is that Kumaran Pathmanathan should be properly managed in the same manner like Karuna Amman and Pillayan during the war and should be used to destroy the LTTE’s international network as well as to win over the modest members of the Tamil Diaspora.

The JHU Secretary had made this statement in response to an article published in the Ravaya newspaper last week. The news article was about KP and was based on comments made by JHU National Organizer and Spokesperson Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe.

Since the Ravaya article was published in our website, the JHU media unit has sent the correction sent to the Ravaya newspaper to our e-mail address as well.

Following is the English translation of the correction sent in Sinhala:

“The headline story of the Ravaya newspaper on August 22, 2010 was related to our party. The story stating to be the Hela Urumaya’s objection to KP’s freedom had been prepared in a manner indicating it was written following an interview with the party’s National Organizer and Spokesperson Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe. It is with great responsibility that we state the story written by Ranjith Gunawardena is a total fabrication.

“Neither Ranjith Gunawardena nor any other member from the Ravaya newspaper had requested for a comment from Nishantha Sri Warnasinghe on the matter. Such a fabricated story would have been carried as the lead news of a responsible newspaper like yours since the newspaper acts irresponsibly. Or else, it should be because you work with a hidden political agenda. Or it could also be because of both facts. Regardless of all that, these kinds of incidents place our party in a difficult situation and would also like to show that it would also have an impact on the newspapers’ reliability and good name.

“Regardless of practical issues and other difficulties, it is the duty of the editor in chief to be more mindful of sensitive stories published in the newspaper. Therefore, it is your responsibility to take necessary action against members in your staff who do not engage in their profession sincerely and follow media terrorism to find out the reasons that have compelled them to follow such avenues. Until such time we would like to express the party’s displeasure and objections against your media institution and you in particular for publishing such a story.

“We would finally like to note that if the same enthusiasm shown calling for media freedom is used to practice good journalism ethics, the situation could be much better. Media personnel need to move out of terrorism to benefit the country and society.

“Patali Champika Ranawaka,

General Sceretary”