Media should become a strong institution that can save democracy; Former BASL Chief

Sri Lanka Press Association (SLPA) President Kurulu Koojana Kariyakarawana presents a memento to former President BASL Saliya Peiris. SLPA Secretary General Tilak Senanayake, Legal Advisor Atto Sandun Yapa Karunaratne and ExCo Member Attorney Lakmal Sooriyagoda are also in the picture. 

Pic by Samantha Perera   

By Yohan Perera   

Media is an institution that should be strong and independent in order to prevent democracy from dying just like the judiciary, police and independent commissions,former President of BAR Association Sri Lanka (BASL) Saliya Peiris said.   

“Media should be a totally independent institution that is strong enough to prevent a gradual death of democracy. Editorial independence is essential in this regard,” Peiris told a seminar organized by Sri Lanka Press Association (SLPA) under the title “Role of Media and Law in Sri Lanka’s electoral landscape on Tuesday.   

“Democracy of a nation can be killed by a bloody revolution and by abolishing of a constitution. It could be killed instantly by the methods which I have already mentioned. However one can also kill democracy of a nation though weakening the institutions such as judiciary, media and independent commissions. This is a slow and gradual death. Statements which refute verdicts and directives of Supreme Courts is also one way of weakening institutions. In that context the statement that the legislature will not accept the stay order issued by the Supreme Court to prevent Deshabandu Tennakoon from functioning as the IGP could be an effort to weaken the judiciary. Ignoring court orders could destroy the judiciary and the democracy of the nation,” he said.   

Responding to a question whether the Speaker Mahinda Yapa Abeywardena should talk to the Chief Justice on the matter pertaining to the IGP, Peiris said one is not aware as to whether the Speaker has actually conferred with the Chief Justice with regard to the matter. He said the speaker might not and should not do it.   

“We have also seen instances where the media has been weakened in Sri Lanka. Taking over Lakehouse and sealing of the Dawasa newspaper in the 1970s. My own father who was the editor of Observer and his associate editor Philip Cooray were summoned to Parliament during the late President J. R. Jayewardene’s government over an error of captions. Both were questioned by all 168 MPs during that time. My father came home from work disturbed on that day,” he recalled.   

At the same time he said media personnel can no longer be penalized by the legislature as the law to this effect which was in existence during the time of President Jayewardene but then media minister late Mangala Samaraweera changed the law through bringing amendments in the 1990s.   

Also he said the media should be fair and independent especially during an election time. “Editorial independence is essential. Editorial independence is best practiced by the BBC despite it being a state institution in the UK. The UK government hardly interfere with affairs of the BBC,” he said.   

He said media could use provisions in the law such as filing human right petitions to ensure it’s freedom.   

Further he recalled that the uprising in Bangladesh is a result of absence of democracy and weakening of the democratic institutions. “Bangladesh has seen an uprising because of the weakening of its democratic institutions despite the economic achievement,” he said in this regard.