Sri Lanka: Iqbal Athas returns from hiding in Thailand

Monday, 17 September 2007

A prominent journalist attached to the Colombo weekly Sunday Times has returned to the island after spending a month in hiding in Thailand. Iqbal Athas, writing in this Sunday's edition says that the Government of Sri Lanka (GoSL) first afforded him with armed security fearing that he may be murdered in retaliation to the army's killing of prominent Tamil journalist and editor of Tamilnet.com Mr Sivaram Dharmeratnam alias Taraki. Placing the blame squarely on the Rajapaksa brothers for the renewed threats on his life and the withdrawal of security Athas says that now the threat to him is more from the military than the LTTE.

Athas added that the LTTE had approached him for information about Newton, an alleged member of the intelligence unit who was abducted in Colombo, but has never used threats and intimidation against him.

He went on to state that he had exposed corruption in the previous two regimes in Colombo but has never been threatened with death.

He explicitly states that his undoing has been the exposure of the MIG-27 deal involving Gothabaya Rajapksa and Mr 10% Basil Rajapaksa.

However, Athas refined from commenting on claims that he is an agent working for the US intelligence service CIA.

While acknowledging that US authorities have always shown undue interest in his welfare, Athas made no comments on him working directly for the CIA.

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