President Assures Justice for Victimized Journalists

30/05/2015

President Maithripala Sirisena said that he has already instructed the relevant authorities to reopen files relating to the abductions and assassinations of journalists during the past few years. “Impartial, methodical and justifiable investigations will be carried out in to the abductions of journalists, since the government strongly believes that the rule of law should be protected. Accordingly, investigations will be carried out promptly and recommenced into all suppressed misconducts,” the President said.

The President made these remarks while handing over a cash grant to Sandiya Ekneligoda, wife of missing journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda at the Sri Lanka Bar Association Auditorium yesterday. The cash grant was offered by the immediate past president of the Bar Association of Sri Lanka Upul Jayasuriya, who received a special award by the Commonwealth Lawyers’ Association for his services to protect the rule of law in the country. President Sirisena added that the government has clearly understood that it is duty bound to establish justice for the victimized journalists.

He noted that the government opened doors for good governance after January 8. “Some say that this is a government of good governance. But, I do not totally agree with that. According to my view, I don’t think that this is total good governance, but, what we did was to open the doors to good governance. This is only a commencement of a long journey towards good governance.This is only paving the way for good governance, the President noted. He further added that the government’s main responsibility is to establish the rule of law.

The government is duty bound to protect the rule of law so as to allow everyone to be treated equally. “Such freedom should be established. Similarly, professionalism in the legal sector means having the freedom to carry out their duty without any outside influence,” he said. The President added that unlike the past, professionals in the legal sector have more freedom to perform their duty.

“They do not receive telephone calls from the Presidential Secretariat or Temple Trees unlike in those days insisting on them to do certain things. Therefore, they have the freedom to carry out their duty impartially and freely,”the President said.

The President noted that the process of rebuilding a country, which was in ruin and lacked democracy, equality, rule of law, human rights, fundamental rights etc is in progress. “Such a destroyed country cannot be rebuilt within a short period. It can not be done overnight,”he added. He further said that the government is engaging in implementing a correct and people friendly political culture

-CDN