BBC Sinhala service head suspended

by Kurulu Kariyakarawana

BBC Sinhala Service (Sandeshaya) head Priyath Liyanage who aired a news bulletin unfavourable to the controversial BBC World Service documentary “Sri Lanka’s Unfinished War” by Frances Harrison, has been suspended with immediate effect.

Liyanage who had authorised a three-minute bulletin that carried defensive comments from Military Spokesman Brig. Ruwan Wanigasuriya in response to Harrison’s documentary on abuses and human rights violations in the North during the last stages of the war against terrorism is believed to have triggered the removal of the former from his position, the Sunday Observer reliably learns.

The news bulletin which has now been removed from the list of archives of the Sinhala Service bulletins was broadcast after Harrison’s documentary was screened for the first time on the BBC World Service on November 9. It is learnt that the BBC had made moves to suspend Liyanage who himself conducted the bulletin on the interview of Military Spokesman had allegedly intended to attack Harrison’s documentary on Sri Lanka.

A non-Sinhala supervisor, Dejan Radojevic, (BBC World Service Europe Editor) has been appointed to head an all-Sinhala staff on the Sinhala service for the first time in history.

The staff of experienced media workers of the Sinhala Service office in London comprising Chandana Keerthi Bandara, Saroj Pathirana, Upali Gajanayake, M J R David and Wimal Hewage are now confined to translate only news items gathered from other Sri Lankan news portals and publications.

Former BBC Sinhala Service Sri Lankan Correspondent Elmo Fernando has been summoned back from his retirement to report despite his successor Azzam Ameen functioning as the Colombo Reporter.

Also 10 provincial freelance correspondents of the Sinhala Service have not been assigned any work nor paid for their contributions for a month now, sources in London said.

Liyanage has been suspended following an inquiry conducted by two BBC officials.