The Association of North Ceylon Journalists has appealed to the International community to come forward to avert the killings of journalists, employees of newspaper publishers and the attack on newspaper offices.

The attacks on the news papers and media men have been intensified following the new war situation since the 11th of August, and terrorism unleashed on the media of the Jaffna peninsula, an area under the control of Sri Lankan army.

A distributor of the Uthayan newspaper was shot to death. A store of the Uthayan newspaper was torched. A managing director of another newspaper was also shot to death.

The distribution of newspapers in the Jaffna peninsula has been seriously affected because of such threats. An atmosphere that prevailed in 2000, when journalist Nimalarajan was killed, has re-emerged today.

In 1989 EPRLF and ENDLF that committed atrocities in the Peninsula, resorted to muzzling the press before they left Sri Lanka. These groups banned the publication of newspapers in the Jaffna peninsula for three months, seized printing machines and stationery and abducted employees of the newspaper publishing houses.

It is a recorded history that the office of the Eelanadu newspaper was torched and the printing machines of three newspapers published from Jaffna namely Eelanadu, Murasoli and Eelamurasu were bomb-blasted.

Likewise, there was an air strike on the office of the Uthayan newspaper in Jaffna by President Premadasa’s government. President Chandrika’s government sealed the office of the Uthayan newspaper in Jaffna. About three and a half months ago, an armed gang entered the Uthayan office, killed and injured its employees, causing damage to property.

In such a predicament the Association of All Ceylon Journalists has made an appeal to the International community to ensure the freedom of expression.

It must be stated here that Colombo based Tamil media persons who reflect the views of Tamil Nationalism are also subjected to such threats. Their fair reporting and the revelations of reality have angered and annoyed the Colombo government. This is not a healthy trend.

Does the government think by silencing Tamil media and threatening Tamil media men, it could suppress the aspirations of the Tamils or enforce a solution desirous to the South?

It is a timely and urgent need that the International community takes immediate measures to avert such threats to the right to free expression and the attacks on the media.

International community must ensure the freedom of expression of the fourth-estate.

An English translation of the Editorial in Uthayan, a Tamil daily, based in Jaffna

Comments (0)

Subscribe to this comment's feed