Since January 2010, human rights defender and TV Journalist Mr Gamini Pushpakumara has been subjected to death threats and an apparent smear campaign on the part of pro-government media outlets in Sri Lanka.

Further Information

Gamini Pushpakumara is a journalist with the Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corporation (SLRC) - the main state television channel in Sri Lanka. He has been an outspoken critic of the increasing government influence over the SLRC, and an active proponent of media objectivity and ethics through his trade union activities as secretary of the SLRC Program Producers' Union.

Gamini Pushpakumara is also one of the chief organisers of the National Television Trade Union Alliance, and an Executive Committee member of the Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association, the Sri Lankan member of the International Federation of Journalists.

Gamini Pushpakumara is being subjected to an intensifying campaign of death threats, as well as an apparent smear campaign aimed at delegitimising his journalistic work through linking him to the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) and a supposed anti-government conspiracy.

The most recent campaign of death threats and harassment began on 9 March 2010, when Gamini Pushpakumara received a phone call threatening that if he did not report to the Criminal Investigation Department to give a voluntary statement (despite not receiving any written request to do so) they would have to send a 'white van' to take him, and threatening to jail him as a 'Sinhala Tiger' or kill him.

He subsequently reported the incident to the police the following day. Furthermore, on 26 March 2010, two unidentified persons visited Gamini Pushpakumara's premises in the early hours of the morning, and this was followed by two further phone calls on the same day in which he was told that he was being watched, and again accused of being a 'Sinhala Tiger' and threatened with murder.

This event was also reported to the police on 27 March 2010. He received a further phone call, similar in content, on 5 April 2010 which, in turn, he reported to the police on 7 April 2010.

However, upon enquiring about the status of his previous complaint lodged on 27 March 2010, the police officer informed him that the complaint had been withdrawn by the complainant and the investigation ended.

Gamini Pushpakumara denies having withdrawn the complaint. Finally, on 20 April 2010, a police officer visited Gamini Pushpakumara at his home and questioned him regarding his links with an alleged member of the LTTE.

Gamini Pushpakumara reports to have previously been subjected to repeated intimidation and threats of loss of life and profession by the Chairman/Director-General of SLRC, Mr Ariyarathna Atugala, as a result of his activities campaigning against alleged pro-government bias in the channel's programming and news coverage.

Gamini Pushpakumara's accusations of bias within SLRC are supported by worrying examples, such as events of the election day, 26 January 2010, when all SLRC employees were allegedly given compulsory leave apart from a few employees close to the Director-General, and a number of military personnel were reported to have been present on the premises.

On the same day, SLRC broadcast alleged biased stories relating to opposition candidate General Sarath Fonseka, in direct violation of the Sri Lanka constitution and election laws.

On 28 January 2010, Gamini Pushpakumara, along with two colleagues, were reportedly subjected to further verbal intimidation and death threats by high-level employees of SLRC subsequent to lodgement of a complaint in relation to an assault against a colleague.

Gamini Pushpakumara was subsequently interdicted by SLRC.

Following this, Gamini Pushpakumara claims to have become the subject of a smear campaign, in which state-owned television and print media released news items linking him and colleagues to a supposed anti-state conspiracy led by General Sarath Fonseka and accusing him of being a 'Sinhala Tiger', an accusation which means he can be arrested under Sri Lankan anti-terrorism laws.

This comes as part of an apparent ongoing campaign linking any journalist opposing the regime to the LTTE in an attempt to delegitimise their journalistic work, which has resulted in many journalists having to flee the country.

Front Line believes the death threats and harassment against Gamini Pushpakumara are directly linked to his legitimate work in defence of human rights, particularly with respect to freedom of the media. Front Line sees this as part of an ongoing campaign of harassment against media outlets in Sri Lanka who do not openly support the incumbent authorities. Front Line is deeply concerned for the physical and psychological integrity of Gamini Pushpakumara and his family.