On the one hand, John Holmes, UN Under Secretary for humanitarian affairs, stated that Sri Lanka is among the countries, which are dangerous for aid workers. And on the other, the International Press Freedom Mission has stated that Jaffna is a precarious place for journalists.

The delegates of Reporters Without Borders, and International Media Support visited Sri Lanka last June. They proceeded to Jaffna and studied the situation personally. On their return after meeting journalists, military officials and representatives of the civil society in Jaffna, they released their report.

The report states that following murders, abductions and threats, the Jaffna peninsula has become a dangerous place for journalists to perform their tasks. 7 media employees including two journalists have been killed after May 2006.

The report further states that many journalists have fled from the country. Certain others have given up journalism. The report further stated that though the government made assurances, no proper investigations have been conducted into these acts of violence. As a result, the family members of journalists do not want them to continue their work. Today the media in Jaffna has lost 90% of their employees.

An official attached to the Asian division of the Reporters Without Borders stated that due to the threats the Jaffna media is unable to portray the real situation in the peninsula.

It must be stated that the freedom of the media is inter twined with the people’s right for information. Following the closure of the A9 route the Jaffna, media could not take the news print to Jaffna. Thereafter it was due to the pressure of the international community that the news print was sent to Jaffna by sea. Still there is a shortage of news prints and Jafna media have curtailed the number of pages of the news papers.

The report by this international media organizations have helped to expose the reality in the Jaffna peninsula.

An English translation of the Editorial in Thinakkural, a Tamil daily, based in Colombo

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