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| Sunday, 15 December 2002 |
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Breakthrough for media rights by Jayampathy Jayasinghe Legislation will soon be brought before parliament to protect the rights of the media personnel to withhold information with regard to the source of information in a news story, Media and Information Minister Imthias Bakeer Markar said at a recent seminar on "The role of Media in promoting Human Rights" organised by the Centre for the Study of Human Rights of the Colombo University. The legislation will strengthen the media personnel's right in safeguarding the source and will not be compelled under any circumstances to divulge the source of information. The minister said that the legislation will enable journalists to practise their profession without any hindrance from any quarter. The earlier regimes had gone to the extent of harassing media personnel by shutting down and sealing newspapers but the present government within a period of ten months was able to repeal the Criminal Defamation Law for the benefit of media personnel. Referring to Human Rights violations in Sri Lanka, he said it did not enjoy a favourable position in the past and the government was striving hard to put the record straight. Today the world focus is on human rights activities, he said. Prof. Savitri Goonesekera speaking on the occasion said that even the media does not give a balanced version when reporting violence. The most horrendous form of violence was seen in the campuses today. The media personnel should go into investigative journalism in reporting facts correctly as they have a tremendous responsibility towards society. Speaking on the theme of violence against women and children, she said that there was high tolerance and legitimisation of violence against Women and Children. Throughout history women and children have suffered more than any others due to violence. Over the years there has been a tremendous disenchantment with the institutions of government which are supposed to protect human rights. Quoting a WHO report on Violence and Health Prof. Goonesekera said that violence has been analysed as self directed violence, inter-personnel and community violence and collective violence. Sri Lanka has a serious problem in terms of all the aforesaid violence. The Centre for the study of Human Rights at the Law Faculty of the University of Colombo was set up in 1991 to educate and spread the human rights message among students and the community at large. The declaration of human rights was adopted by the General Assembly of the United Nations in 1948. Although the declaration is not a legally binding instrument, some of its provisions are contained in general principles of law. Prof. Ravindra Fernando, Prof. Sunanda Mahendra, State Counsel S. Thurairajah and Mithra Ariyasinghe also spoke on the occasion. |
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