An Open Letter to the Editor of the Sunday Leader

We are writing with regard to the article ‘In The Footsteps Of A Sex Worker’ published in the Sunday Leader on the 9th of October 2016, written by Ashanthi Warunasuriya. We are frankly astounded at the complete lack of professionalism revealed in this article, which blatantly peddles gross misinformation as fact. The article reveals that the writer, and thus the publication, both hold and wish to promote archaic, outdated ideas about sex work and women. Furthermore, the tone of the piece is similar to that of a soap opera, which aids its grand objective of meting out moral judgment.

By the article’s own admission, “there were only a few opportunities available for us to get to know their stories.” And yet it proceeds to make sweeping claims about the lives and plight of sex workers, in a patronizing and ignorant manner. First, we would like the writer and the publication to establish the validity of her sources and her facts, especially of the statistics she has quoted. We are concerned with how she arrived at conclusions such as, “30% of the young girls are suffering from the loss of virginity”. Apart from the basic lack of sex education that Ms. Warunasuriya possesses (the ‘loss of virginity’ is not an ailment women suffer from), she also appears to be ignorant about sexuality, sexual autonomy and the freedom of girls and women to make decisions over their own bodies.

We are also concerned about how the information was gathered, as it sounds very much like the writer stalked and harassed sex workers at night, on the streets, making them even more vulnerable to being noticed by law enforcement authorities. This is unethical, and not how good journalists would work with and treat sources/subjects.

To address the central issue — sex work, we found the piece to be deeply misinformed. No background research has gone into reporting on the issue in a topical, accurate manner. The writer seems — clearly due to the severe lack of guidance from the editorial team — hopelessly unaware about the laws regulating the trade, as well as the global discourse around sex work.

At a time when Amnesty International has called for the decriminalisation of sex work, and global sex worker rights movements are calling for participation and representation in decision making platforms, Sri Lanka, led by establishments such as The Sunday Leader, are preaching a regressive discourse which creates an unsafe atmosphere for an already vulnerable community of women. At a time when feminist movements are calling for the labour rights of sex workers, The Sunday Leader would rather have them “giving up their work to become decent citizens”.

Sex workers are a very marginalised community in Sri Lanka. They face unthinkable harassment and violence from society, law enforcement, the judiciary, clients, their families and their communities. As a society we must call for the protection of our most vulnerable citizens. We must ensure they have the freedom to exercise their rights, whether it is to live and work free of violence, or have access to government services and facilities, be able to rent a house or put their children in school without facing stigma, or carry out their daily lives as women without being subject to regressive colonial-era laws like the Vagrants Ordinance.

Articles such as this one promote ideas steeped in prudish morality, which create a false correlation between the “decency” of an individual and the type of work she does. Nowhere in this article is it mentioned that sex work is in fact not criminalised in Sri Lanka, and that sex between two consenting adults is neither illegal nor a cause for shame, contrary to the writer’s personal beliefs. Instead of allowing women the dignity of carrying out their livelihoods in a safe and secure environment, instead of calling for the human rights of sex workers to be protected, the writer and the paper she works for, have promoted views directly harmful to the progresses made to further their rights.

We request the Sunday Leader to issue a full apology to the citizens of Sri Lanka for the misinformation put forth in this article, and especially to all the women in sex work this article seeks to malign and shame. We also urge the Editor to seriously interrogate their own ideologies and practices as an organisation, and what they are passing on to the younger writers they employ. It is important that a leading English language publication such as the Sunday Leader gives utmost priority to the best, most ethical practices, in terms of content and method. We urge you to resist in turning serious issues — which have great bearing on human lives — into cheap, sensationalist ‘episodes’ to increase circulation.

Yours sincerely,

Tehani Ariyaratne
Iromi Perera
Subha Wijesiriwardena
Priyanthi Fernando 
Harean Hettiarachchi
Anukshi Jayasinha
Kamani Jinadasa
Ashini Fernando
Sanjana Hattotuwa
Marisa de Silva
Nilshan Fonseka
Gajen Mahendra
B. Gowthaman
Deanne Uyangoda
Harini Amarasuriya
Lakwi Perera
Hans Billimoria
Savindri Talgodapitiya 
Shilpa Samaratunge
Savera Weerasinghe 
Sunela Jayewardene
Nikki Wickremasinghe
Amaya Weerasinghe 
Gehan Gunetilleke 
Ermiza Tegal