Forum highlights people’s right to information

By Senashia Ekanayake

A top level professional forum yesterday emphasised the urgent need for people’s right to information identifying it as an integral part of a functioning democracy.

The fact that the underlying reason for all prevailing issues was the citizen’s inability to access required information was also underscored at the forum titled “People’s Right to Information” involving a panel discussion organised by the Alliance of Media Organisations, the Commonwealth Human Rights Initiative and Transparency International Sri Lanka (TISL).

Ninety countries worldwide including four in the South Asian region namely; Pakistan, India, Nepal and Bangladesh have implemented the Right to Information (RTI) Law in their countries.

Speakers at the discussion noted that issues such as corruption in India have become a known phenomena primarily because of the practice of this law. The RTI law in Sri Lanka was first suggested in the early 1990s. In 2003 the bill was drafted but not passed as a result of the change in Government; then it was presented as an individual Bill by Karu Jayasuriya and not passed. Latest developments state that the Bill is being put forth once more for approval.

Explaining as to why RTI was necessary was Attorney-at-law J.C. Weliamuna who remarked that it was only fair that the public was allowed the same information that was accessible to ministers and political leaders.

“Ministers are political representatives who have been appointed by the public; the reason being that us as the public being unable to be in Parliament. If democracy is the voice of the people and for the people; by RTI not being practiced, is it fair to say that democracy is practiced in the country?”

Free Media Movement representative Sunil Jayasekara speaking from the standing of a journalist noted that as a result of the law not being practiced, media personnel have to be shrewd in their ways of obtaining information, “We ultimately succumb and resort to the undignified way out.”

However, on a positive note he highlighted that media in Sri Lanka had come a long way since its inception. Despite not practicing the RTI, the country has over 60 print media publications and over 35 electronic media stations.  

Embarking on the elements of RTI was Law Faculty Senior Lecturer V.T. Thamilmaran who observed that while it was important for individuals to have the right to seek and receive information, it was equally important for the information to be imparted to others. He added that information was an asset and although the public did not demand information from the authorities, it was their responsibility to make it available to all.

He cited the example set by the Bandarawela Urban Council in making information available to its tax payers. However, he remarked that while conveying received information and ideas to a majority of the people was important, issues such as privacy came in to question.

Pointing out on RTI as a development strategy was Professor Savitri Gunasekera. She believed that RTI in a Sri Lankan context could not have elements of thought, expression and opinion work isolation. She further added that RTI would be practiced only if individuals have the right to think their own thoughts, formulate and express their opinions. She went on to say that unless and until the approaching reality is acknowledged and addressed RTI would only become more restrictive and inaccessible. It was also mentioned that the country bore the best of laws but the weakest of implementation.

The event also saw the launch of the translated book “Open Sesame” to the Sinhala and Tamil languages by Transparency International Sri Lanka. Officials present at the event noted that the translation was a mere step that was taken up by the civil society.