Sirasa TV Liberation: TEN MYTH BUSTERS

Having writing enough, I thought of staying away from this topic. However, many questions raised by Government controlled mass media (directly and indirectly) emails and even blogs remain unanswered. Hence this post. I will make it as brief as possible.

None of us know for sure what happened exactly, or who did it (Except of course, those actually did it) We can only speculate. Still there is evidence. It is essential to separate evidence from speculation. For example, a statement like “Govt will never do such a thing like that at this moment” is speculation; but the white van with professional gunmen came to Depanama is a FACT. Let us not twist facts.

MYTH NUMBER 1: Governments do not take risks at the climax of popularity.

This is a baseless argument. Governments take risks everyday and do more so when they are popular. Then only they can afford to balance the negative impact with positives. (Like introducing Environment levies on the same day of a cricket victory) Even the most populist governments apparently take unpopular decisions. For example, the decision not to reduce the petrol prices, as directed by the Supreme Court, was certainly unpopular, but still Kurakkan regime took the risk.

Then of course, not every section of a govt is populist. There are sections that need not be, having not to face an election. Is there any guarantee that such a section not taking a risk?

MYTH NUMBER 2: Govt/SLFP do not benefit from these two acts.

In short term, may be. Still think the long term impact. Sirasa TV and Sunday Leader publications were the only true independent media in Sri Lanka. Others are controlled by Govt either directly (ITN, Rupavahini) or indirectly (Divaina, Lakbima) Sirasa TV and Sunday Leader were the only media that took the risk of supporting opposition in an election. Silence them and who will benefit? Government or Opposition? Imagine the loss to opposition in a Presidential or General Election without Sirasa and a journalist like Lasantha. Isn’t SLFP the only beneficiary?

MYTH NUMBER 3: This was done to prevent Killinochchi capture receiving lime light

No way. Killinochchi was captured on Jan 2. (Friday) Sirasa attack was on Jan 6 (Tuesday) early morning. Isn’ four days enough for a news item to gain attention? Then again, as Google trends show whatever the attention received for Killinochchi capture was dying down by the time of this attack. If it were to divert attention, why not attack the station on the same night?

MYTH NUMBER 4: Sirasa received their massive insurance claim

There was some stupid email making rounds saying that Sirasa TV received US$ 6,000,000 as insurance. If any insurance company to pay such a large amount within few days the domino effect will lead to another financial crisis. The fact: Sirasa TV has not received any insurance yet. In a case like this, the insurers will try their best not to pay, delay or reduce the payment (particularly when the damage is so high) and it is doubtful what percentage of their loss will be compensated and when.

MYTH NUMBER 5: The damage at Sirasa TV was not substantial. That was how they could start all their programs the next day.

The damage was substantial. The control room has completely gone. What Sirasa does now is running the process manually. Burning somebody’s car not necessarily prevent him from going to office. He still can walk or take the bus.

MYTH NUMBER 6: UNP was behind it.

Ha Ha Ha. Why should any opposition party, let alone UNP, ransack the only free electronic media channel? UNP is not that stupid.

As reported by Lankaenews, a UNP municipal council member has been arrested purely based on one ‘ANONYMOUS CALL’ received by police saying he (caller) saw weapons from a white van was transferred to a Black Defender in front of the HSBC building Rajagiriya. (There are two security posts 500m from this point to each direction. How a van with weapons came through one of these posts remains a question. Is this the security we have in Colombo?)

There is no way to verify the information provided by the caller as he is anonymous. Having noted down the number of the Defender, the caller has also failed to take down the number of white van. Strange, these anonymous callers are.

Unlike in a crime story of Agatha Christie, there is also an imbalance here. One party is privy to all information and has the power to influence the process of inquiry. We have no reason to believe that this party, the prime suspect, will not use its power – to suppress inquires and spread disinformation. The two recent examples of them doing so were the Johnpulle and Mervin Silva cases.

MYTH NUMBER 7: Sirasa TV has moved some of their equipment to S-Lon factory at Ratmalana just few weeks before the incident.

Completely FALSE. No equipment has ever being move to Ratmalana from Depanama. Sirasa TV did have plans to set up two bigger studios (to be used for Reality shows) at their Ratmalana premises, which has become vacant as the factory is moved elsewhere, but this incident has happened before any equipment movement.

MYTH NUMBER 8: Sirasa TV hides its CCTV recordings

Installing CCTV cameras is not a security standard in a private area . It is a requirement but there is no obligation. MTV has not installed any (not a solid decision) because most these areas private, not anyone can walk in like a super market. Absence of CCTV cameras does not mean the police can so easily wash their hands off.

MYTH NUMBER 9: All 15-20 gundaas have come in one vehicle

How come 15-20 men be fit in one vehicle?  They could have come in two or three vehicles. Only one vehicle was needed initially – till they get hold of the guards. Others can easily move in once the gates are open. The guards talk about the vehicle they saw. Other vehicles might have stopped a bit far.

MYTH NUMBR 10: If Sirasa TV is closed, only one rich Tamil will suffer

No way. Out of the MBC cadre more than 90% are Sinhalese. This does not include more than ten times of this number that indirectly depend on Sirasa from Vijaya Nandasiri to a huge network of provincial correspondents. Close Sirasa TV and all of them will be in the streets, looking for jobs soon. Not only that. What the vandals have destroyed was the most advanced digital control system in South Asia. Those who suffer include every Sri Lankan.

I perfectly understand why Mahinda mama’s henchmen bring these otherwise apparently stupid arguments. They are at a bad wicket and even a straw to hang on at this difficult moment is God-sent. These baseless arguments might save the day for SLFP, but can lead to disastrous consequences for the country. Leaving party affiliations aside all what we want is a democratic society where dissident opinions are respected, not repressed. Given the choice, the more ‘patriotic’ act would be save the nation from falling to a bottomless Taliban abyss, than saving a political party on short term.