Ceylon Today Editorial

From Phonegate to Media Ban

27 December 2016

Last week, we wrote about public servants who become malignant personalities after being intoxicated by the noxious fumes of power and authority. We wrote about the importance of individuals who do not take power to their head, when he or she has a responsibility to use that granted power responsibly. We also told you how public servants who do not adhere to this common discipline, and stray seeking thrills most definitely ends up being ridiculed by many.

This is what the Inspector General of Police Pujith Jayasundara has become.
Following his last week's debacle of suspending the Police news sent out to daily to private media institutions through emails, Inspector General of Police Jayasundara has found himself being vilified and being cast aspersions at.

According to several media reports that came out last week, Inspector General of Police Jayasundara had ordered to immediately stop the release of daily updates to private media organizations due to the recent uproar in the country with regard to his allegedly controversial telephone conversation in Ratnapura. Dubbed fondly by the media as the Phonegate incident, the Inspector General of Police having a phone call with an individual only addressed as 'Sir' reached scandalous heights in both mainstream media and social media. The news was telecast on a private media channel. The matter even reached the political arena where ministers and other politicians, where they made various comments on the matter-adding hay to the burning fire. Inquiries were called, meetings were held and that was only the beginning it seems.

This was the incendiary moment that has led to the latest emotional breakup between the private media organizations and the Inspector General of Police. The hassle is incidentally most similar to a bad blood break up between lovers after one gets to know the significant other has been wanton and promiscuous which has led to the parting. Now the 'victim' of the breakup has decided to take melodramatic revenge on the former lover. It is up to the reader to decide who is who.

Jest aside, the Inspector General's emotional decision-making has led us to have some rather unsavoury thoughts. If he's this emotional when it comes to handling media reacting to his actions, we are left to wonder what he does when it comes to handling crimes and corruption. If he's this easy and cheap, we can only but imagine to which 'Sir' he has allowed to pull his strings.

As per the instructions of Inspector General of Police Jayasundara, the Police Media Unit, which has lost all its glory days now, will not invite private media representative to any functions held at the Police Headquarters in future. Accordingly, this means that the private media institutions will not be invited to important (or otherwise) press conferences nor will they be given any information to be reported.

The Inspector General of Police was quick to deny the order of suspension (or rather, alienation of private media) to politicians during his many meetings. Even the Police Media Unit, which was contacted when this editorial was being written claimed that they will be sending regular emails and notices from evening onwards. The last notification this newspaper – a private media institution, if you didn't know – received from the Sri Lanka Police was on 17 December. As of yet, we have not received any email updates from them, regardless of their dodgy explanations. When inquired about the Inspector General's orders to ban private media, the Police Media Unit only gave an unsatisfactory answer of: "Ehema monawath nae ithing" (There's no such thing).

Currently, Sri Lanka has a majority of private owned media institutions when compared to the number of State owned media outlets. The Inspector General's decision of alienating the private media organizations – if such a thing has happened or not or is going to happen in the near future – is a bad idea for one particular reason. That is intentionally ignoring a particular part of the media would only result in bad publicity. The Police Chief's image is already at risk and we simply cannot but highlight the fact that this decision will only make it worse. Hopefully, he sees the light, understands the severity of this situation and promptly retracts his decision. That is the wise thing to do.