Sinhala Translation of Unbowed and Unafraid on Lasantha Wickrematunge Launched in Colombo

The Sinhala translation of Unbowed and Unafraid, the book written by Raine Wickrematunge about veteran journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge, was launched at the Tharangani Hall of the National Film Corporation in Colombo.

The Sinhala edition, titled Noselunu Nonemunu Lasantha (“Lasantha: Unbowed and Unafraid”), was translated by Kasun Pussawela and published by Sayura Publications. Reports ahead of the launch confirmed that the event was scheduled for September 25, together with a screening of the documentary And Then They Came for Me.

The launch event was conducted by Chulananda Samaranayake and Abhisheka Fernando.

As part of the programme, the book was formally presented on behalf of members of Lasantha Wickrematunge’s family and Attorney-at-Law Ranga Dissanayake, Director General of the Commission to Investigate Allegations of Bribery or Corruption (CIABOC).

Delivering the keynote address on the book, Dissanayake said that in periods when political power is used to maintain control by those seeking to preserve their power, resisting such practices can involve considerable personal risk.

He said many people choose to remain silent in such circumstances, describing this as a way of preserving their lives at the expense of their conscience.

Dissanayake also spoke about Lasantha Wickrematunge and Kasun Pussawela, saying that although they belonged to different generations, both had chosen journalism and the power of words as a means of challenging a political culture in which, he said, some would do anything to preserve power.

Referring to Lasantha Wickrematunge’s assassination, Dissanayake described it as one of the most serious crimes in Sri Lanka’s recent history. He said Lasantha’s death had become a symbol of a period in which violence was used in place of words.

He also praised Pussawela for translating the biography into Sinhala, saying the work would make the story accessible to Sinhala-speaking readers who had previously been unable to read the English-language original.

The event concluded with a screening of the documentary And Then They Came for Me .

The original Unbowed and Unafraid was written by Raine Wickrematunge, while the Sinhala translation was undertaken by Kasun Pussawela and published by Sayura Publications.