The International Federation of Journalists joined organisations in condemning the detention and threatening of a Tamil journalist by Sri Lanka’s military.
Shanmugam Thavaseelan, of ABC media network was detained for more than two hours by the military and was only released after the newsroom contacted the military spokesperson in the capital Colombo, said the IFJ in a press statement.
The journalist was in possession of a media card and was covering a public protest against alleged land grab by the military in Mullaitivu.
The IFJ said, “The IFJ condemns the harassment of a journalist by the Sri Lankan military. It is a journalist’s duty to cover incidents of public interest, and to expose any wrong doing by any state agency. It is the duty of the Sri Lanka authorities to ensure safety of journalists as well as provide a conducive environment for free and independent reporting. The IFJ urges the Sri Lanka authorities to probe the matter and ensure that such incidents are not repeated in future.”
