They Shoot Journalists, Don’t They?
Journalist Namal Perera in hospital, with Minister Sarath Amunugama
Dinidu called and asked if I could put a notice on Kottu ’bout the protest for Media Freedom and Safety today, at Colpetty Junc, 12:30. I usually don’t put anything on Kottu, but in this case I think it might be OK. Dunno, you tell me. Bloggers haven’t yet felt the whip of media repression, but we can hear the crack. From what I hear, Namal Perera was being followed in Narahenpitiya, near Stratford Ave, where they sell those local speakers. I was there this weekend. As the car was stopped, thugs came out, smashed the windows and tried to drag him out, apparently jamming a rod in his mouth, cutting him on the broken glass as he clung onto the door frame – for life. This was after work, in traffic and caused an obvious commotion. There are two checkpoints within about 200 meters. But as our Defense Secretary says, ‘Those who love us do what is required. We cannot help that.’ In that case those who love this country should do something, because we can help each other.
Suddenly I feel lost, just as I started connecting with SL people. It is just too damn hurting to hear these stories. I did not feel this insecure, not even when I got lost in Watts (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Watts,_Los_Angeles,_California). Hope those morons will learn something and fix their problems rather than covering them up. I admire all you brave souls. Good luck people, be safe.
Mahinda is taking advice from his closest friend Mervin Silva…. this is the result of it…………..
if you sleep with dogs……….
Maybe Mr. Chinthanaya has been getting tips from Mugabe on how to stay in power indefinitely….
do what they are required? what the fuck. as a human being help him.
If It’s Not Broken, Don’t Fix It!. Kottu already involved in this by giving bloggers a platform to voices. And it is not broken.
I do understand we Sri Lankans like politics in our discussions and spices in our food. And lot of it. But sometimes too much of it, hard to digest. If kottu directly involved in this sort of political issues, it is easy for someone else Pigeonhole Kottu (and blogging with it) with so call “foreign conspiracy†or “opposition conspiracy†or “terrorist propaganda†or other sort of labels – and not everyone fond of those things. Reputation of kottu will effect reputation of blogging in SL. And blogging is too young in SL for stand against any sort of bad reputation at this time.
I’m all for free speech, even when it about free speech. So let me ask you a question. Let’s say Kottu publish a banner or some sort of a things regarding those stories. And if I wanted to write a negative post about journalists.. hmm.. I don’t know.. lets say.. “it is journalist’s interest to have violence against them, so they can easily acquire asylumâ€.. or some sh*t likethat. Can I publish that in kottu? Or should I? It is not nice kottu become a competitor (of blogers). It is more or less like those sorts of people who helps you out with one thing and then try to sell their religion (or their ideas). Some don’t like that sort of things.
Bottom line is – let bloggers do it.