By
Dilrukshi Handunnetti

It was Friday, 15 February and the time was around 11:15 p.m. Barnes Avenue was quiet as usual, a residential lane off Hotel Road in Mount Lavinia, dotted with a few rest houses including ‘Oceania Blue’.

Suddenly, the dogs in the neighbourhood began barking incessantly. Nobody heard the running feet. Having finished his week’s work, The Sunday Leader journalist, Faraz Shaukatally has reached home and was speaking on the telephone, with a colleague from the newspaper.

In fact, he was discussing a story he intend publishing in the weekend newspaper. The phone suddenly went dead and attempts to call Shaukatally proved futile. The persistent caller got through many minutes later, to be answered by a different voice. That was how the newspaper staff learnt that their colleague was fired at from point blank range at his own guest house, Oceania Blue.

Intruders enter

A fortnight ago, some suspicious people appeared closer to his home while he was away, inquiring as to what time he would be home. Neighbours who no longer wish to speak, in case they too get dragged into a criminal event that had just taken place in their neighbourhood admit only to being asked about Shaukatally – particularly as to whether he was overseas and about others who occupied the house. Like most journalists, Shaukatally, when informed of inquiries being made about him, did not lodge a complaint with the police.

Half an hour before the clock struck 12 midnight, three men (supposedly in black) broke into Shaukatally’s room as he slept. One opened fire – at point blank range. The bullet pierced the left side of the neck. The three men – all locals – fled the house, leaving the victim in a pool of blood. However, Mt. Lavinia Police claim that there had been no rummaging of drawers or evidence of searching for anything in the room or to gather any valuables. “It is clear that they wanted to attack him,” a police officer associated with the preliminary investigations said.

Following the attack, the journalist has somehow managed to bang on the door of the room next to his, asking for help. It was three foreigners who were staying at the guest house who finally admitted the bleeding journalist to the Accident Ward of the Kalubowila Hospital in the middle of the night. He was given immediate medical assistance, but given the grievous nature of his would, the hospital authorities took steps to immediately transfer him to the Colombo National Hospital. He underwent successful surgery for the removal of shrapnel from the bullet on Saturday afternoon and is said to be recovering, according to hospital authorities.

While there is an outpouring of sympathy and expressions of solidarity for Shaukatally and The Sunday Leader, a newspaper that had been extraordinary in its powerful expression of dissent during the time of its slain editor Lasantha Wickrematunga, is left to wonder why the journalist was singled out and an attempt made on his life.

The current editor of the newspaper, Shakuntala Perera was busy adding the final touches to the newspaper when Ceylon Today made a visit to the newspaper office in Ratmalana on Saturday midday.

“It is harrowing. This newspaper has always been at the receiving end of all forms of violence. While we would not know who wanted Faraz dead, the attack could be very well linked to the kind of journalism he practised. A series of exposes were published in the recent past on a variety of subjects and as the core of all those stories was a strong anti-corruption message,” she said.

Journalism the reason

“It is difficult to understand why these senseless attacks continue,” she said.

The attack on Shaukatally is seen by the media rights groups as a key incident, following the disappearance of the Prageeth Ekneligoda in 2010. Sunil Jayasekera, Secretary, Free Media Movement expressing his dismay said, what the country should understand is that the conditions have not improved for journalism practitioners after the war. “It may appear so to many, but this incident and the many incidents that continue in the Jaffna District, especially targeting the Uthayan newspaper is proof that the struggle for free expression in this country is far from over. There is self-censorship and there is great danger for those who wish to dig deep. Shaukatally has a lot of symbolic value in that sense,” he said.

Attacks continue

Rights groups are highlighting the fact that The Sunday Leader’s legacy of being attacked are likely to continue. Though no murders of journalists were recorded since 2009, the conditions in the country have been far from conducive for the practice of journalism, they fear.

Despite a change of hands in 2012, The Sunday Leader has continued to dabble in a considerable amount of investigative reporting. While the newspaper’s founder editor was slain in broad daylight on 8 January 2009, Wickrematunge’s wife and Associate Editor of The Sunday Leader at that time, Sonali Samarasinghe was immediately driven into exile. Just months ago, before Perera took over the newspaper as editor, her predecessor, Frederica Jansz too left the island under a cloud of controversy, sighting threats to her life and now lives in exile.

As for Shaukatally’s attack, the police are already showing signs of drawing a blank. At present, there are no witnesses and material evidence for the police to conduct sound investigations. Like all the investigations before this, despite presidential orders, this too is likely to get buried in the sands of time.

Armed gangs on the prowl – Karu

The shooting incident is confirmation of the existence of gun-wielding gangs able to go on the rampage, which highlights the weaknesses in the law enforcement mechanism, UNP parliamentarian, Karu Jayasuriya said in a statement.

Jayasuriya alleged it was impossible to overrule links to the State machinery given the dexterity of bearing and handling firearms and the demonstrated ability to leave without being apprehended by the law enforcement authorities after committing a grave crime.

Referring to the murder of The Sunday Leader’s founder editor, Lasantha Wickrematunge which remains an unresolved mystery to date, the MP stated that the shooting of Shaukatally would be a further black mark on Sri Lanka at a time when the country’s human rights record is to be reviewed by the United Nations Human Rights Council(UNHRC) next month.

Immediate inquiry ordered – Presidential Spokesperson

Presidential Spokesperson, Mohan Samaranayake told Ceylon Today that a special inquiry has been ordered by President Mahinda Rajapaksa into the incident. “The inspector General of Police (IGP) was issued with special instructions,” he said.

Failure to administer justice – FMM Secretary

The reason for the blatant manner in which journalist Faraz Shaukatally was shot at reflects a the deep-rooted problem in Sri Lanka, of having failed to administer criminal justice, the Free Media Movement (FMM) said in a statement yesterday.

The statement added that Sri Lanka had a long history of journalists being under threat and of being violently dealt with, but the situation has not improved due to systemic failure which in turn had resulted in an erosion of public faith in the administration of justice. Although President Mahinda Rajapaksa has called for a special inquiry and speedy action to arrest the culprits, investigations of a similar nature prior to this incident have failed to reach any conclusions or ensure justice. This cast shadows of doubt over the government’s commitment to protect the rights of victims.

No evidence or witnesses – Police Spokesperson

The motive of endangering the life of journalist Faraz Shaukatally is yet to be ascertained but the absence of evidence poses an immediate problem, Police Spokesperson, SSP Prishantha Jayakody told Ceylon Today.

He said the journalist who owned ‘Oceania Blue’, a guest house located at Barnes Avenue in Mount Lavinia was alone in his room at the time of being shot by the assailants.

“Police is faced with the problem of lack of evidence and witnesses both. The Criminal Investigations Department (CID) is assisting the police in the special investigation in to the attack but at the moment, there are no leads,” he said.

Linked to his journalism – TSL Editor

There is enough reason to believe that the staff journalist suffered this fate due to his work as a journalist, possibly due to the volume of work he did in the recent months to expose corruption in society, Shakuntala Perera, Editor, The Sunday Leader said, in a telephone interview with Ceylon Today.

“He did mention that some suspicious people hovering around his home two weeks ago and inquiring about him from the neighbourhood. He has not lodged a complaint with regard to this. He was doing exceptionally good work and of course, it would be wrong to prejudge the case before investigations into the incident are concluded,” Perera said.

Another assault on mass media – SAFMA Sri Lanka

The murder attempt against a senior journalist, Faraz Shaukatally of The Sunday Leader is yet another assault on the mass media in what appears to have become a tradition of the Sri Lankan State, Lakshman Gunasekera, President, South Asia Free Media Association (SAFMA) Sri Lanka Chapter, told Ceylon Today.

He said, “SAFMA Sri Lanka unreservedly condemns this attack and deems it a part of the continuing systematic undermining of Sri Lankan democracy. Notable about these attacks on the media is their success in that the law and order authorities have consistently failed to apprehend the perpetrators. This continued success is an assault on civilian dissent and clearly demonstrates the complete incompetence of the Defence Ministry in managing law and order. This also fully validates the recommendation by the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission (LLRC) that law and order should be taken away from the Defence Ministry.”

He is stable – Dr. Anil Jasinghe

Director, Colombo National Hospital, Dr. Anil Jasinghe told Ceylon Today that journalist Faraz Shaukatally who was admitted in serious condition to the hospital was showing a marked improvement after undergone surgery to remove shrapnel lodged in his left shoulder.

“He needs to recuperate but he is clearly out of danger,” Jasinghe said. COURTESY:CEYLON TODAY