EXPOS: DG RANGA KALANSURIYAS LIES AND

HALF TRUTHS ON MEDIA REGULATION IN SRI

LANKA

06/07/2017

Under pressure from the media to explain his attempts to establish government
sponsored media regulation in Sri Lanka, Director General of Government
Information Dr. Ranga Kalansooriya has spoken half truths and lies to cover up his
plan.

This is what he says in the government news portal News.lk: Only the discussion
paper prepared by the Sub-Committee appointed in this regard is available. Eight
media organizations had participated in the basic discussions in July last year and
set up the above Sub-Committee. The five-member Sub Committee includes Ms.
Seetha Ranjani, Upali Arambewela, Dharmasiri Lankapedi, N.M. Ameen and is
headed by Wijayananda Jayaweera. All the activities related to this process are
being conducted by this subcommittee.

On the contrary in an email Mr. Wijayananda Jayaweera says that the Bill to
establish the Independence Media Regulatory Body was drafted by him with
inputs from Toby Mendel. In a twitter message Mr. Toby Mendel also accepts that
he took part in drafting of the Bill.

This clearly contradicts Information DGs statement that the Bill was created by a
group that includes representatives from media organisations.

Both these gentlemen have done the drafting free of charge.

Mr. Mendels recent trip to to Sri Lanka in order to promote the draft, including
all other expenses was paid for by the International Media Support (IMS),
Denmark.

The entire process of this state sponsored media regulation in Sri Lanka has been
initiated and financed by the IMS, Kalansooriyas former employer.

Kalansooriya has so far not rejected the allegation leveled at him by the Lanka-e-
News that he is still employed by the IMS, although he has taken up a full time job
as a political appointee.

Although then FMM convener Seetha Ranjanee participated in two such meeting,
FMM has not provided any inputs to this media regulation draft.

In a meeting held to explain the draft, then FMM convener Seetha Ranjanee told
a small gathering in April this year that she only participated in two such
meetings.
Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association refused to take part in the discussions
coordinated by Kalansooriya.

Kalansooriyas answers given at a government press conference on 05th Aug 2017

re Media Regulation Act, does not provide any clues that help us find out who
appointed this sub-committee?

Was it Mr. Kanasooriya in his capacity of DG government information? Does he

have authority to appoint such a committee? To whom is this committee
responsible? Or is this a self -appointed voluntary committee which is responsible
only to themselves?

Kalansooriya never mentioned Mr. Mendals involvement in drafting the Bill at

the press conference. Why?

Kalansooriya further says that as his department was not capable of bearing a
huge cost, financial support was obtained from an International Organization to
conduct Consultation programs in all 25 districts.

He has also refrained from clarifying who provided the financial support and for
whom. Why he did not mention the IMS by name?

Sri Lanka Brief has received the information that the provincial meetings are also
paid for by IMS.
NSMR (National Secretariat for Media Reform in Sri Lanka) which organises
provincial consultations to promote media regulation in Sri Lanka says that they
do not have funds to organise so-called consultative meetings. But so far all
provincial meetings have been organised by the very same NGO NSMR. How did
they managed this miracle?

On the other hand Information Department has told senior journalist and the
president of the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association, Lasantha Ruhunage
that a consultation organised by NSMR in Colombo was in fact a Information
Department event.

So who is behind this web of secrecy? And Why? Is this a plan by the UNP led by
PM Wickremasinghe who appointed Kalansooriya to this post? Wickremesinghes
desire to control media to his whims and fancies is well known.

Some time back a publication called Rebuilding Public Trust An assessment of

the media industry and profession in Sri Lanka was published and handed over to
PM Wickremesinghe. Producing such a report was a huge task. It was published
by IMS and NSMR. Though it was published by NSMR ,an organization that is no
longer functional has handled the finances!

As IMS web site states the assessment, which was co-published by International
Media Support, was led by the Secretariat for Media Reforms established as a
virtual group consisting of five partners with meeting facilities provided by Sri
Lanka Press Institute (SLPI).

The logo and name of the NSMR is different from what appears on the front page
of this publication?
Another intriguing fact is that on the front page of this publication NSMR has
been mentioned as SMR sans the word National. Its website logo is different.
Who is hiding what?
Why did they change NSMR into SMR in the publication Rebuilding Public Trust?
When asked how much money was spent for this report and who was paid NSMR
states that they didnt handle the finances of producing the Rebuilding Public
Trust. In fact, the financial part of the report was handle by another entity called
Strategic Alliance for Research and Development SARD which seems to be
now defunct. Its web site is not available and last post on its Facebook page was
posted in November 2015.
Face book of the now apparently defunct organisation Strategic Alliance for
Research and Development SARD

Then who gets the IMS funding to organise these provincial meetings? And is this
a process initiated by the Government of Sri Lanka?

The most important issue whether the government will accept any report
compiled by the non governmental NSMR as a result of these meetings as
legitimate consultation report on media regulation in Sri Lanka?
Posted by Thavam