What Next? Sunday Leader
I hesitate to rake the muckraker, but the Leader website left last week’s caption on this week’s photo
Need to get out of bed and find the paper. Got an article on What Next in this war and what we’re actually fighting for (or should be). It’s easy to forget that the LTTE is not the actual problem. More like virulent herpes we caught after fucking around for too long. But the real issues are still, ah, there. There’s also an interesting piece where the publish the names of people who invested more than Rs. 10 million with Golden Key, including some prominent politicians.
The main things I hear about the Leader are middle-aged women on my columns (seriously, I’ve got the auntie demographic locked) and about this naming names in the Golden Key scandal. As a briefer, Lalith Kotelawala was basically running a pyramid/ponzi scheme with a lot of money, and his reputation as collateral. When the financial tide went out it emerged that the man was swimming naked. Montage has more on it. But basically, a lot of people lost their money and they’re baying for blood.
The Sunday Leader has taken the extremely controversial step of publishing the names of all the investors in Golden Key. Many people have told me this is unethical and reveals the Sunday Leader as tabloid trash. I dunno. I personally find it a bit boring, but it also happens to be true.
The Leader’s ‘Swindlers List’ is now a public document and while the paper received several requests from individuals who wished to have their names omitted from the final published list, for reasons of credibility and fairness the decision was taken to publish the names of every single major depositor in Golden Key – not a single name was omitted.
Ultimately however the list of depositors was published not to shame and ridicule the individuals concerned but to bring to light the human aspect of the scandal – to make it clear that behind the almost incomprehensible figure of Rs. 26 billion there are nearly 10,000 victims.
But again, it does seem a bit pointless and hurtful. And yet, this is public information, and there is a public interest. So really dunno. I’m inclined to defer towards anything that pisses proper Colombo off, but there is human suffering and embarrassment there. Yet, at the end of the day, it is true. The truth isn’t a bullet proof vest, but it’s a good rule of thumb.
Today on the 
Janith has updated 
This is highly dubious. Miss Travel is a travel/social networking site that connects ‘Generous’ and ‘Attractive’ travelers. To, like, travel together, I guess. It all seems a bit like arranged prostitution and trafficking. This is part of a broader online trend to connect rich men to younger, attractive women. Sites like 
Sri Lankan domestics never say anything, they just stop coming. My maid just stopped coming and when I finally pressed her she said I needed to get a washing machine. I was hoping to ride this one out, but I’ve run out of underwear and I have no choice. I finally caved and bought a washing machine, from 
Theres also undeclared income tax dues.
Yeah, I find the Leader’s list to be a cheap way of selling papers by violating privacy. Rather tabloidish.
Also, that pic also ran on the front page, the caption giving the impression it’s of current combat. In reality that pic was taken late last year before Kilinochchi fell.
SUNDAY LEADER NOMINATED FOR FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION AWARD
Freedom of Expression Awards 2009 shortlist announced
http://awards.indexoncensorship.org
17Mar09 – 14:58
Index on Censorship today announces the shortlist for the 2009 Freedom of Expression Awards.
The awards, presented in association with the Economist, the Guardian, Bindmans and the Robert Gavron Trust, honour those who have furthered the cause of freedom of expression and battled censorship around the world.
Prizes are awarded in five categories: books, film, journalism, and law and campaigning.
Previous winners include Arat Dink, Anna Politkovskaya and Edward Said.
This year’s shortlist includes Sri Lanka’s Sunday Leader newspaper, Ma Jian’s novel Beijing Coma, and Steve McQueen’s film, Hunger.
The awards will be presented on 21 April at Kings Place, London. The ceremony will be hosted by Index on Censorship Chair Jonathan Dimbleby, with a keynote speech by Sir David Hare.
Index on Censorship Chief Executive John Kampfner commented: ‘The Freedom of Expression Awards focus attention on activists, writers and film makers around the world who actively promote free expression, often in the most difficult circumstances. Index on Censorship is delighted to recognise their efforts at this increasingly high-profile annual event.’
To book your tickets for the awards show, and to learn more about the nominees, go to http://awards.indexoncensorship.org or alternatively contact Ade Lukes at ade.lukes@indexoncensorship.org or Padraig Reidy at padraig.rediy@indexoncensorship.org
The full short lists for 2009 are:
The T R Fyvel Book Award nominees are:
Rebel’s Hour by Lieve Joris (Atlantic Books)
Bejing Coma by Ma Jian (Chatto and Windus)
Human Smoke by Nicholson Baker (Simon and Schuster)
A Field Guide for Female Interrogators by Coco Fusco (Seven Stories Press)
The Bindmans Law and Campaigning Award nominees are:
Gamal Eid, Egyptian human rights champion and regional campaigner for freedom of expression.
Harrison Nkomo, a human rights lawyer defending journalists in Zimbabwe.
Harry Roque, a campaigner for human rights and media freedom in the Philippines.
Malak Imtiaz, a human rights lawyer and activist and the current president of the National Human Rights Society (HAKAM) of Malaysia.
The Index on Censorship Film Award nominees are:
Hunger, Dir. Steve McQueen (Pathe).
The Devil Came on Horseback, Dir. Ricki Stern (Dogwoof).
Terror’s Advocate, Dir. Barbet Schroeder (Artificial Eye).
On the Verge, directed and distributed by SchMovies.
The Guardian Journalism Award nominees are:
The Sunday Leader, a platform for some of Sri Lanka’s most outspoken journalism despite its editor’s assassination.
Sanjuana Martinez, an award-winning freelance journalist investigating and exposing corruption in Mexico.
Tamer Almishall, the youngest reporter for the Arabic television network, Al Jazeera, who reported from the recent invasion and bombardment of Gaza.
Sakit and Genimet Zakhidov, who are both serving prison sentences for their dedication to freedom of speech after writing articles and poetry critical of Azerbaijan’s authoritarian government.
The Economist New Media Award nominees are:
Global Voices Advocacy, an international network for bloggers and activists.
Psiphon, a computer programme and network created to circumvent censorship, Canada.
Hossein ‘Hodder’ Derakhshan an Iranian blogger.
Mizzima, a Burmese-exile run news website.
The Leader did a public service by publishing the swindler’s list. Now we know who the real morons are out there who never stopped to think that a 30% return is kinda hard to sustain even if you’re running a crack dealership. Plus, I saw a bunch of names of govt servants and business people who I always suspected were crooks, and well….I just laughed my ass off.
Now if only the Leader would run a detailed article on where and how much loot the Kotelawelas have stashed.