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January holds a dark significance for Sri Lanka’s media community. Known as Black January, it is a month that painfully reminds journalists and media workers of a troubled history marked by killing, enforced disappearances, abductions and attacks on media institutions.

Disturbingly, a large number of these grave violations against journalists have taken place during January. Every year, Black January is commemorated to honour fallen journalists and to demand justice for crimes committed against the media. This year was no exception. The Free Media Movement (FMM) together with the Free Media Movement Journalists’ Trade Union, recently organised the Black January commemoration at the Sri Lanka Press Institute auditorium under the theme, “January is Still Black: The Journey Towards Justice.”

Freedom of expression

This event served as a memorial and a call to action. It highlighted the continuing struggle for freedom of expression, accountability and justice for media professionals who paid the ultimate price for speaking the truth.

The commemoration reaffirmed that despite the passage of time, the wounds of Black January – remain unhealed, until truth, justice and media freedom are fully secured in Sri Lanka.

The event featured Prof. Savithri Gunasekera, journalists, Wijayananda Jayaweera, Sunil Jayasekara, Hana Ibrahim, Lasantha de Silva and R. Ramkumar who shared their opinions on media freedom and justice.

The discussion was coordinated by senior journalist, Amal Jayasinghe.

Prof. Savithri Gunasekera said that ensuring justice at its core is a very simple principal, but the law must be enforced. However, she said that the real problem lies in the failure to create conditions where the law can be effectively implemented. As a result, justice is repeatedly delayed.

She said that although January is commemorated every year as Black January, demanding justice for slain journalists such as Lasantha Wickrematunge and Sivram, meaningful accountability has yet to be achieved. Even today, justice for these prominent media figures remains elusive.

Prof. Gunasekera said that freedom of speech and expression is essential for any democratic society. She said that laws alone are not sufficient to sustain strong institutions; there must also be the necessary institutional mechanisms, capacity and procedures to enforce them effectively.

She said that safeguarding media freedom and freedom of expression requires a firm commitment and a strong sense of responsibility from the Government, adding that without such dedication, legal protections remain merely symbolic.

Upul Kumarapperuma PC said that the evidence in several court cases related to the killing of journalists had been destroyed in recent years due to State interference. As a result, he said, justice has still not been delivered to journalists who were murdered, even to this day.

He said that the majority of the journalist killings occurred between 2009 and 2015. Although investigations were initiated following the end of the war in May 2009, he said that interference by the Government in power at the time prevented investigators from identifying suspects or bringing perpetrators to justice.

Citing the Prageeth Ekneligoda case as an example, he said that although the case was filed in 2010, no suspects were produced before the Courts until August 2015. While suspects in cases such as the Ekneligoda disappearance were eventually presented to Court in 2015, proceedings were subsequently obstructed due to pressure from the then Opposition and the conduct of certain members of the clergy, which created further impediments to the administration of justice.

Delaying justice

He said that during the 2019-2022 periods, legal proceedings took a completely different turn. The Presidential Commission of Inquiry on Alleged Political Victimisation, appointed by the President at the time, recommended the release of several accused persons, thereby weakening ongoing cases and further delaying justice.

He said that from 2022 to the present criminal investigation, the Attorney General’s Department has failed to restore several of the stalled cases. He also said that Judicial Medical reports (JMO Reports) relating to the case of journalist Poddala Jayantha have gone missing, creating serious technical issues to proceed with the case in the absence of such critical evidence.

Referring to the Keith Noyahr case, he said that the main suspect has since left the country on a scholarship and has not returned to Sri Lanka to date.

Similarly, there appears to be little or no progress in cases related to the assault on journalist Upali Tennakoon.

He said that the existing general legal framework is insufficient to deliver justice in cases involving crimes against journalists. As future steps and recommendations, he said the need for a special independent mechanism to investigate and prosecute cases where evidence has been destroyed through Executive interference, adding that only such a mechanism could ensure accountability and prevent further impunity. Journalist Wijayananda Jayaweera said that the domestic mechanism for delivering justice has failed and added that greater attention must be given to the international Reports of the UNESCO Director General.

Senior journalist, Sunil Jayasekara, briefed the gathering on the history of Black January. He said that it began in 1981 in Jaffna with the killing of a photographer named Nawarathnam.

Since then, he said 114 media personnel including 56 journalists had sacrificed their lives in the struggle to protect the rights of freedom of expression.

He said that if appropriate action is not taken, the country will be forced to speak with sorrow about Black January every year. In this context, he said the need to establish mechanisms such as a Truth Commission is vital.

The event was also attended by the Chairman of the Sri Lanka Press Institute (SLPI) Kumar Nadesan, and Sandya Ekneligoda, the wife of disappeared journalist, Prageeth Ekneligoda.

Former President Ranil Wickremesinghe and Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa are expected to meet shortly to decide as to who would lead the proposed UNP and SJB alliance, UNP Deputy General Secretary Harin Fernando said yesterday.

Responding to questions raised by the media, Fernando said Wickremesinghe is likely to play an advisory role. “He had told the Buddhist clergy that he is out of active politics. Accordingly, that would be the case” Fernando said.

He said the UNP has proposed setting up a joint working committee. “We have put forward some proposals and the ball is now on SJB’s court,” he said.

Furthermore, he said a leadership board may be appointed to run the UNP.

Meanwhile, Opposition Leader Sajith Premadasa confirmed that he had a successful round of discussions with UNPers over the weekend.

“Today the SJB and the UNP held another round of successful discussions, which I am hopeful will result in a victorious conclusion. SJB General Secretary Ranjith Maddumabandara, UNP Deputy Leader Ruwan Wijewardene, General Secretary Thalatha Athukorale, Vice Chairman Navin Dissanayake, Assistant Leader Akila Kariyawasam, and Sagala Ratnayaka participated in the discussions,” Premadasa said in his X message.

Bay One Residences Colombo, an apartment project in Sri Lanka’s China-backed Port City special economic zone was launched by ICC, an engineering and construction group, a statement said.

The project offers apartments starting from 500,000 US dollars with sizes ranging from one bedroom (68 to 72 square metres) to 4-bedrooms (306 to 515 square metres).

Bay One is Residences is the first residential project in the dollarized, area reclaimed from the sea by China Harbhour Engineering group.

Sri Lanka’s parliament recently, passed a law setting out tax rates for businesses in the Colombo Port City.

Sri Lanka has high income tax rates of 30 percent, which are out of line with countries that have monetary stability in East Asia of around 20 percent or below.

The Sri Lanka Army has vacated the Sulipuram Army Camp, also known as Chulipuram, bringing to an end more than three decades of military presence at the site.

Troops stationed at the camp withdrew late on Friday night and were relocated to another Army facility in the area.

The closure follows decisions taken in late 2024 to dismantle selected long-standing military camps in the Jaffna peninsula, as part of efforts to return occupied land to its original civilian owners.

The formal process was carried out under the supervision of the Commander of the 513th Infantry Division, who handed over the official vacation notice to the Chankanai Divisional Secretariat last week.

The Sulipuram camp was established in the early 1990s during the height of the civil conflict and remained operational for over 30 years.

Army Spokesman Brigadier Waruna Gamage said the move should not be viewed as a sudden withdrawal, describing it instead as part of a planned restructuring of the Army.

In recent years, the Sri Lanka Army has closed or relocated several camps in the Northern Province under a broader national restructuring programme, with a focus on releasing land for civilian use.

The Katkolam Army Camp in the North was disbanded in November 2024 under the same initiative, while land occupied by the Karaitivu Army Camp in Ampara was returned to the public in October last year after 35 years.

The 10th Battalion of the Vijayabahu Infantry Regiment, which had been stationed on approximately half an acre of land in Karaitivu since 1990, was withdrawn, and the land was formally handed over to the Karaitivu Pradeshiya Sabha.

A 120-foot Bailey Bridge on the B-492 Kandy–Ragala Road was inaugurated today under India’s USD 450 million reconstruction and rehabilitation assistance to Sri Lanka, aimed at restoring connectivity in areas affected by Cyclone Ditwah.

The bridge was jointly opened by India’s Deputy High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Dr. Satyanjal Pandey, and Member of Parliament Manjula Suraweera Arachchi. The project restores a key transport link in the Central Province, improving access for passengers, essential goods transportation, and local economic activity.

This marks the second Bailey Bridge constructed on the Kandy–Ragala Road under India’s post-Ditwah reconstruction programme. The first, a 100-foot bridge at KM-21, was inaugurated on January 10 by the Indian High Commissioner along with Deputy Ministers Prasanna Gunasena and Madhura Senevirathna.

The bridges are part of India’s broader assistance following Cyclone Ditwah, which caused widespread damage to road networks due to landslides and bridge collapses, particularly in hilly regions. The reconstruction work is being carried out in coordination with the Sri Lankan Army and the Road Development Authority.

The Indian High Commission said additional Bailey bridges are scheduled to be constructed in the coming weeks as part of the next phase, to ensure full restoration of connectivity in affected areas.

A group of SLPP and SJB parliamentarians, led by SLPP MP Namal Rajapaksa, are scheduled to travel to Odisha, India, on a private visit to participate in the celebrations of India’s Republic Day on January 26, following an invitation from a private university in India.

The delegation includes SJB MPs Chithral Fernando, Chamindrani Kiriella, Chathura Galappaththi, and Prasad Siriwardena, along with former SLPP MPs Indika Anuruddha, Sanjeewa Edirimanna, Sampath Athukorala, and Political Bureau member Milinda Rajapaksa.

In addition, the group is expected to undertake an observation tour of the Odisha Disaster Management Centre, recognized as one of the world’s leading disaster management institutions, and visit Buddhist archaeological sites dating back to the era of King Ashoka.

A cordial discussion regarding this visit was held recently at the official residence of the Indian High Commissioner, between the Sri Lankan delegation and the Indian High Commissioner to Sri Lanka, Santosh Jha.