| TNL and Yasodhara: the
rest of the story The charge that the TNL television station had endangered President's Kumaratunga's daughter, Yasodhara, was the highlight of Media's Minister Mangala Samaraweera's cabinet news briefing last Thursday. But the full story had not been revealed there. The minister, for instance, has not released details of the letter he wrote TNL's chairman and managing director, Mr. Shan Wickremesinghe, on June 30 - the day after the June 29 newscast about which the president had complained. Most pertinently, not a word was said about the letter that TNL's then news director, Ishini Wickremesinghe Perera, wrote in reply. A TNL spokesman said that a correction of the report, cleared with Minister Samaraweera, was telecast the next day. The tone of the minister's letter was nowhere near belligerent as what followed from the president. He had drawn attention to the telecast, said there was no truth whatsoever in it and that the defence authorities had denied that any such incident occurred. ``It is unfortunate that you have allowed this incorrect news report to be telecast portraying the picture of Ms. Yasodhara Kumaratunge throughout the specific news broadcast. There was a strong possibility that such a broadcast was made by your station with the deliberate intention of causing mischief. ``May I ask you earnestly to effect a correction of the particular news item immediately and perhaps let me know as to how this false news came to be broadcast by your station.'' This is the reply that Mrs. Ishini Wickremesinghe Perera wrote the minister the very next day. ``Firstly, Sir, we acknowledge with gratitude the opportunity afforded us to explain our position on a matter of such importance. ``On the 20th instant TNL was informed by unofficial though reliable police sources that a Tamil youth was arrested by the Kollupitiya police on Monday, June 28 while rehearsing what was described as an attempt to assassinate Miss Yasodhara Kumaratunge, the daughter of H.E. President Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge. ``This story was checked, double checked and confirmed from with various sections of the security establishment before the telecast referred to in your letter. Despite taking every conceivable precaution, we learnt this morning to our great consternation that at least part of this story was untrue. ``We were informed by ASP Cecil Perera of the Kollupitiya Police that two young men had indeed been arrested for suspicious behaviour in the vicinity of Miss. Yasodhara Kumaratunga's vehicle but that subsequent investigations had yielded no evidence to link them to the LTTE or any possible assassination attempt. ``TNL intends to rectify this error by telecasting a correction on our Sinhala and English news bulletins today - June 30, 1998, giving to it the same prominence received by the original story. A copy of the said correction is attached hereto. ``We deeply regret any lapse on our part and sincerely apologise for the misleading information which was relayed however inadvertently on our channel. Please convey our personal apologies to Miss. Yasodhara Kumaratunge and her family for any apprehension or inconvenience that may have resulted from our newscast. ``As a remedial measure, sir, may we suggest that to prevent future mishaps of this nature you recommend to us key officials within the security establishment to whom we may turn to for official confirmation in the event of any incident which could give rise to such damaging speculation.'' The letter was signed by Ishini Wickremesinghe Perera, Director News. It would be pertinent to point out that at the SAARC opening, Rupavahini showed the president arriving with her two children. Subsequently, at least one newspaper carried a picture of the president's son meeting a Veddha chief at Kandy recently. If there were apprehensions of the sort expressed in the president's letter ready out by the media minister at the cabinet news conference, why did it take so long for the media to be told? The following is the text of the letter Media Minister Mangala Samaraweera wrote Mr. Shan Wickremesinghe, Chairman/Managing Director of TNL on June 30. Dear Sir, TNL News - 29 June 1998 Your attention is drawn to the telecast of 29 June, concerning Ms. Yasodara Kumaratunge, daughter of Her Excellency the President, Madam Chandrika Bandaranaike Kumaratunge. There is no truth whatsoever in the news broadcast by you, that a motor cycle rider was on a reconnaissance mission with the motive of causing harm to her. There had been no such incident and the Defence authorities have denied any such incident. It appears that the news item has not been verified for its truthfulness. It is unfortunate that you have allowed this incorrect news report to be telecast portraying the picture of Ms. Yasodara Kumaratunge throughout the specific news broadcast. There was a strong possibility that such a broadcast was made by your station with the deliberate intent of causing mischief. May I ask you earnestly to effect a correction of the particular news item immediately and perhaps let me know as to how this false news item came to be broadcast by your station. Yours sincerely, |