Sri Lanka's terrorism police summon another Tamil journalist for interrogation

by Rukshana
Mar 16, 2024

Sri Lanka’s Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) has summoned yet another Tamil journalist form Mullaitivu to their headquarters in Colombo for questioning, as Eelam Tamil press workers continue to face intimidation for their work.

Thiruchelvam Divakaran, a freelance journalist and media officer at the Government Information Department, was summoned to the TID office at the Butani Capital Towers in Colombo for questioning, hundreds of miles away from his home in Mullativu.

Divakaran is asked to meet the Office-in-charge of the Terrorism Investigation Division to make a statement regarding an ongoing investigation. No further details were given.

Earlier this month, another Tamil journalist and Chairman of the Mullaitivu Press Club Shanmugam Thavaseelan was summoned to court later this month over a complaint filed by a Sri Lankan navy officer in 2019 after he reported on a disappearances rally in Mullaitivu.

Media freedom has long been an issue on the with state efforts to silence journalists and suppress their work. Dozens of mostly Tamil media workers have been killed or forcibly disappeared over the decades. According to Reporters Without Borders (RSF) Sri Lanka is ranked currently 135th in the world in its press freedom index.

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The crisis is compounded by the controversial 'Fast Track' system introduced in 2014 by the Abbott government. According to the Asylum Seeker Resource Centre, this system has resulted in the rejection of around 8,500 asylum seekers' cases. It specifically targets individuals who sought asylum by sea and arrived in Australia between August 13, 2012, and December 31, 2013. Tamil asylum seekers, stuck in visa limbo for years, have launched protests nationwide, with 24-hour encampments in Melbourne, Perth, and Brisbane.

Amaran - Problematic propaganda

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The genre of war epic makes its grand re-entry to Tamil cinema with director Rajkumar Periasamy’s sophomore feature film, ‘Amaran.’ As is often the case with this genre, one cannot help but feel the events of the ‘true story’ onscreen have been heavily modified for easy consumption.

 

 

 

The patriotic military films of Tamil cinema had taken a back seat for a while. The subject matter is now seldom a prominent theme of a film, instead lurking in the shadows peeking through such as via the heroes in the works of Nelson Dilipkumar. The genre of war epic makes its grand re-entry to Tamil cinema with director Rajkumar Periasamy’s sophomore feature film, ‘Amaran.’ As is often the case with this genre, one cannot help but feel the events of the ‘true story’ onscreen have been heavily modified for easy consumption.

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Official trailer for film below.

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un_spcial

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