The assassination of journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge was not merely intended to eliminate an individual but to send a warning to other journalists and professionals who were prepared to challenge politicians, corruption and powerful interests, Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC) Director General Ranga Dissanayake said.

Speaking at the launch of the Sinhala translation of a book on Wickrematunge, Dissanayake argued that the killing of Wickrematunge conveyed a broader warning to journalists: remain within accepted boundaries, report without challenging powerful interests and “don’t try to be different.”

“Do you think Lasantha was killed only to remove Lasantha?” Dissanayake asked. “It was a message to everyone like Lasantha.”

Dissanayake said similar warnings had been delivered throughout Sri Lanka’s history when individuals challenged corruption or established interests. He cited the experiences of Professor Senaka Bibile and Customs officer Sujith Prasanna, arguing that attacks on individuals could also discourage colleagues and others from pursuing similar work.

He said the consequences extend beyond the immediate victim because colleagues, families and others begin questioning whether challenging wrongdoing is worth risking their lives.

According to Dissanayake, this chilling effect was evident following the killing of the Customs officer, with several people associated with the institution subsequently leaving the country or becoming reluctant to pursue investigations.

Dissanayake said society had largely absorbed this message of fear and argued that it now needed to be reversed.

“If Lasantha is killed and many more Lasanthas emerge, then their message fails,” he said. “But what happened was that after Lasantha was killed, many people were suppressed. Then their objective succeeds.”

He questioned whether the families of people who were killed or disappeared for their work should continue carrying the burden alone, referring to Wickrematunge’s former wife Raine Wickrematunge and the wife of disappeared journalist Prageeth Eknaligoda.

Dissanayake said the wider public must decide whether it would remain silent or ensure that attempts to intimidate those who expose wrongdoing ultimately fail.;(Newswire)

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