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Tamil journalists, hailing from the North-East of Sri Lanka, recently found themselves barred from a meeting with President Ranil Wickremesinghe. Their purpose was clear: to present a letter demanding justice and accountability for numerous crimes committed against their fellow Tamil journalists—many of whom were killed or remain missing.
Despite their intentions, Tamil journalists were denied access by the President’s security detail. The same privilege however was extended to Sinhalese journalists from the South, through the intervention of Manusha Nanayakkara, the former Minister of Industry and Foreign Employment. who was seen seated next to Wickremesinghe. This disparity highlights the continued discrimination faced by Tamil journalists in their pursuit of justice.
The meeting, organized by the President’s Secretariat, took place at Water's Edge in Colombo. As the presidential election looms, Tamil journalists and media organizations have expressed strong opposition to such gatherings. Journalists and media organizations have boycotted these meetings, accusing the government of stifling media freedom and failing to address the assassinations of their colleagues.
Even during the President’s visits to the North, regional journalists were denied permission to engage in news gathering. However, at the request of officials from the Ministry of Industry and Foreign Employment, several journalists from the North and East participated in the Colombo meeting. They planned to hand over a letter urging justice and concrete action for their murdered and disappeared colleagues.
Regrettably, the petition could not be delivered to the President. Security officials intervened, preventing it from being shared with him. Furthermore, Tamil journalists were denied the opportunity to express their opinions during the meeting, while Sinhalese journalists were allowed to present their demands and speak freely.
In a letter addressed to the President, journalists from the North and East called for the establishment of a Special Judicial Council. This council, with international monitoring, would ensure justice for those journalists who have suffered for decades. They called out on the blatant neglect and discrimination of journalists from the North-East under the guise of security must be rectified. Meanwhile, a report compiled by Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS) found Tamils to be the majority of victims. Tamil journalists point out that media freedom cannot be ensured without accountability and justice for their slain colleagues.
During President Ranil Wickremesinghe's recent visit to Northern Province, local Tamil journalists were not allowed to enter the premises or gather news. All information was reported by the Presidential Media Unit. Tamil journalists said that they are being ignored and humiliated through such activities
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