Watagala’s threat to Freedom of Expression

Following the severe devastation caused byCyclone Ditwah, President Anura Kumara Dissanayake declared a State of Public Emergency across the country. The Government justified the move based on the necessity of ensuring delivery of essential services as well as carrying out relief activities in the aftermath of one of the worst natural disasters in the contemporary history of Sri Lanka.

Among others, the emergency regulations given broad powers of search, seizure, arrest, and detention without warrant for persons suspected of involvement in various offences under specified sections of the penal code, particularly offences related to violence, damage to property, or threats to public order. The administration views that such sweeping powers are necessary to accelerate disaster response in view of the havoc and mayhem experienced by many parts of the country, affecting thousands of families.

However, just days after the regulations were declared, Public Security and Parliamentary Affairs Deputy Minister Sunil Watagala was seen instructing Police to use emergency regulations and act against individuals who engage in defamatory campaigns on social media targeting the President and certain ministers of the Government. Watagala had remarked the attacks directed at the President and Government lawmakers via the social media were unbearable and had pointed out that such harsh criticism was levelled with the intention of manipulating public opinion.

The Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association (SLWJA) issued a statement criticising the Deputy Minister’s controversial remarks. The organisation which stands for the cause of media freedom had observed that the Deputy Minister’s threat represents a worrying trend in the backdrop of several prior instances where the Government had allegedly threatened media freedom. The media rights group had described the Colombo District MP’s warning as an attempt to suppress freedom of expression under the guise of disaster management.

Ironically, while in the Opposition, the sympathisers and supporters of the NPP/JVP exploited the reach of social media to severely attack the mainstream political parties of the country. Some of their extremist followers even went to the extent of expressing joy and pleasure through social media platforms about the death of politicians attached to their rival political parties. During their stint in the Opposition, political activists of the NPP vehemently slammed governments in power for errors of both omission and commission whenever a nature-related disaster like flood or landslide took place. Especially, leaders of the ruling political party used to strongly emphasise the importance of having early warning systems as well as well-developed mechanisms of preparation. The Government’s unwillingness to tolerate criticism and dissent comes at a time when it is facing widespread criticism for failing to act decisively and adequately to mitigate the painful consequences of the disaster despite prior warnings by both the Department of Meteorology and Department of Irrigation. Even two days after the full brunt of the catastrophe, President Dissanayake failed to declare a national disaster situation despite requests from the Opposition. According to The Indian Express newspaper, the India Meteorological Department had issued 3-hourly and 6-hourly weather updates about the cyclone and all the information had been shared with its southern neighbour in a routine manner. The economic loss from Cyclone Ditwah far exceeds the damages caused to the economy by the horrendous Boxing Day Tsunami two decades ago. Although the number of fatalities is considerably less than the deaths caused by Tsunami, a substantial number of individuals have lost their properties and businesses. Adding to the misery, many children have become orphaned too. In the light of the overwhelming agony the nation is going through, the arrogance displayed by the Government is simply not acceptable.

Ruling party politicians would be best served by acting proactively to restore the livelihoods of those who got decimated from the cyclone without getting distracted by criticism and various other attacks by their political rivals.