In its report, Reporters Without Borders has pointed out threats to the media and particularly to the Tamil media men in the country.

It has exposed the threats and violence unleashed on the Tamil media including Uthayan and The Sudar Oli newspapers in its report released to the international community.

It has also pointed out that the news released by the Lankan media and the international media are mostly not impartial pertaining to the civil war in the country.

It is not only the Tamil media men who are under threat, even the other journalists who report the military approach and military operations in the country are also under threats.

For instance there is the report that a senior journalist Iqbal Athas, a senior English journalist and Defence Columnist is under threat. It is stated that he is under threats for exposing corruption and fraud. The security provided to him had been withdrawn. He is followed by mysterious motorbikes and cars. His house is under surveillance. There had been demonstrations opposite his residence shouting slogans that he is a traitor.

Consequent to threats, he has refrained from penning his reputed column in the Sunday Times, which has gained recognition both internally and internationally.

If this is the sordid plight of an internationally recognized senior journalist of the English media, one can understand the plight of ordinary journalists particularly the Tamil journalists in today’s context in Sri Lanka.

It is quite appropriate that both the International Press Freedom Mission and the Reporters Without Borders have praised the Uthayan news paper which continues to carry on its publications in Jaffna despite a precarious situation in the following words-“Uthayan a Hero”.

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