Human rights violations for exposing financial irregularities!
Ratnam Thayabaran (50), an international journalist based at Uma Bhavan, 15th milepost, Udupitiya, Jaffna, said that an attempt was made to arrest him based on a complaint made ten years ago, regarding a relief project implemented by a bank in 2011. The complaint was lodged with the Human Rights commission on 7 March.
The complaint was lodged against the Sri Lanka Police, particularly the Jaffna District Deputy Inspector General of Police, including details of alleged violent of human rights.
In the early part of 2021, statements were obtained from a group including Ratnam Thayabaran and fellow journalist T. Vinojith regarding a complaint lodged at the Wadukotte Police Station. Thereafter, plans were hatched to arrest him in January 2022, however, after obtaining anticipatory bail against his arrest from Mallakam Court, his passport was returned and he was released on a personal surety bail of Rs. 500,000.
Thayabaran’s complaint alleges that his human rights had been violated by obtaining a statement again on 16 January 2022, based on an incident that took place 11 years ago. He has produced the names of three eyewitnesses to prove the allegation and has presented the court restraining order, his statement and the complaint as relevant documentary evidence.
Thayabaran, who has made journalism his profession since 2000, said it was a “planned conspiracy”. He said that although the law stipulates that allegations of financial misconduct should be investigated and concluded within two years, the re-investigation of the case by the police is a threat to himself and the media community as a whole.
Commenting on the background of the incident, Thayabaran said that he compassionately considered a request of a Wanni resident who had come in 2011 seeking Rs. 37,000 to buy air tickets to take the daughter to India for eye surgery. Thayabaran had published this story in the media and the man from Wanni has received seven million and five hundred thousand. According to a complaint received from this man’s wife stating that he was misusing the funds, the media representatives had requested him to provide One million five hundred thousand rupees for the children suffering from poverty. He gave the money and it was published in the media as a news article. Meanwhile, during the period 2016-to 2017, he again requested media publicity saying that his daughter needed help. The journalists rejected the request knowing that he was already committing fraud. He was outraged and with the support of the security forces, had resorted to action against the media and journalists.
Thayabaran assumed that discrediting and removing him, could pose a threat to the Jaffna Media Center and journalists as a whole and that the security forces were also using this incident as a weapon. He described this as a “gross violation of human rights” and said it was “impossible” to do so without the support of the security forces.
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