New York, January 24, 2006—An unidentified gunman killed Tamil journalist Subramaniyam Sugitharajah as the reporter was on his way to work this morning in the eastern port town of Trincomalee. Colleagues believe he was killed for his journalism. The Committee to Protect Journalists, which is investigating the motive for the attack, called on Norwegian peace…
DECEMBER 15, 2005—JANUARY 5, 6, 2006 Yarl Thinakkurl Joy Jeyakumar, Veerakesari Namathu Eelanaadu HARASSED The Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance said Tamil journalists were targeted several times for official harassment. The claims came at a time of rising tensions between the Sri Lankan government and Tamil separatist groups.
New York, December 21, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists is deeply concerned about recent attacks on ethnic Tamil journalists amid a spike in violence that threatens a ceasefire between the Sri Lankan government and separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) rebels. On Monday, security forces assaulted three Tamil journalists reporting on a student demonstration…
New York, October 17, 2005—The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns recent violent attacks on the Sri Lankan media and the apparent escalation of the assaults ahead of November’s presidential election. In the most recent incident on Sunday, unidentified men set fire to the printing press of a newspaper group that was critical of the government.…
OCTOBER 16, 2005 October 18, 2005 Sunday Leader, Midweek Leader, IrudinaATTACKED At around 8 p.m., as many as 10 men entered a building in Ratmalana, south of the capital Colombo, where the printing press is housed for the English-language weeklies Sunday Leader and Midweek Leader, and the Sinhala-language weekly Irudina, Sunday Leader Editor-in-Chief Lasantha Wickramatunga…
New York, September 6, 2005 – The Committee to Protect Journalists condemns a spate of attacks on the Tamil-language newspaper Sudar Oli, including the killing of a printing press security guard and assaults on reporters. “We call on the authorities to investigate these vicious attacks and bring those responsible to justice,” said CPJ Executive Director…
August 30, 2005 Posted: November 8, 2005 Sudar OliATTACKED Staff and offices of the Tamil-language newspaper Sudar Oli came under a spate of attacks. On August 29, two men lobbed grenades into the building housing its printing press, killing a guard and injuring two other staff members. Prime Minister Mahinda Rajapakse condemned the attack as…
New York, August 16, 2005—A popular Tamil broadcaster and her husband, a political activist, were killed by unidentified gunmen in Colombo on August 12, the day Sri Lanka’s foreign minister Lakshman Kadirgamar was assassinated. Political leaders blamed the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) for all three killings, charges the LTTE denied. The attackers…
AUGUST 12, 2005 Posted October 31, 2005 Relangi Selvarajah, Sri Lanka Rupavahini Corp. KILLED—UNCONFIRMED Popular Tamil broadcaster Relangi Selvarajah and her husband, a political activist, were killed by unidentified gunmen in Colombo on the same day that Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sri Lanka’s foreign minister, was assassinated. Political leaders blamed the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam…