A collective of individuals and organisations signed a petition calling the Elections Commission to take measures to prevent hate speech and violence in the run up to and during the presidential election and to secure democratic space for a free and fair election.
The request comes with the urgent need to act against threats received by Prof. Chadraguptha Thenuwara and Gamini Viyangoda.
The signatories to the letter state that as citizens concerned about democracy, they are alarmed at the threats against two senior civil society activists for filing an application in the Court of Appeal (CA), challenging the validity of the dual citizenship declaration belonging to Presidential aspirant and former Secretary, Ministry of Defence, Gotabaya Rajapaksa.
Prof. Thenuwara and Gamini Viyangoda filed the case following submissions made by the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) to the Magistrate’s Court highlighting irregularities in the issuing of the declaration.
The Writ petition was heard before a divisional bench headed by the CA President, Justice Yasantha Kodagoda and was dismissed on October 4.
The duo started receiving threatening messages soon after the case was filed in the CA on September 27.
Among them were references to disappearance by white van, such as “get ready for a white van ride”, “these are the types of blackguards who must be given trips in white vans”, “who knows where they live?”, “They don’t deserve a quick funeral, their arms and legs should be broken, and they should be made to suffer”. A web post under IRAJ productions on October 3 warned, “No one who touched the Rajapaksas fared well,” and went on to threaten, “After the Presidential Election, we will begin our work once we have sent the two pariahas who filed the case against Gotabaya to the other world. Be prepared. Victory to the motherland!!!”. In response Madhumadhawa Aravinda linked the threat to the disappearance of Prageeth Eknaligoda saying, “There is another name like Viyangoda. That is known as Eknaligoda. We wish them well”.
It further states that threats, such as these are meant to strike fear into the hearts of those who work for rights and justice in Sri Lanka. Individuals working on these issues will make every effort to resist any such climate of intimidation and fear.
“We are also concerned that these threats are a reminder of Sri Lanka’s past when activists, media and lawyers came under attack for challenging the previous regime of President Mahinda Rajapaksa. Investigations into the killing of Lasantha Wickrematunge, disappearance of Prageeth Ekneligoda and assault on Keith Noyahr are some of the cases where journalists were targeted during the period with investigations still pending,” it reads.
The signatories to the letter urge authorities to take steps to investigate the threats and to provide them with security. We also request the supporters of Gotabaya Rajapaksa to respect the rights of all citizens to exercise their fundamental rights and to desist from making threatening remarks or engaging in any form of intimidation.
“As a candidate in the forthcoming elections, it is paramount Rajapaksas as well as the SLPP call on their supporters to respect the right to dissent and act responsibly during the elections and thereafter,” the petition reads.