Tamil media said harassed

A five-member International Mission on Press Freedom visited Colombo from October 9 to 11 at the invitation of leading media institutions and organizations in the country.

Tamil media persons and Tamil media institutions in Sri Lanka have been subjected to intimidation and harassment said an International Press Delegation in its press briefing at the conclusion of the International Mission's three-day visit to Colombo.

The delegation said at the press briefing that it is the utmost duty of the government to safeguard the media institutions and media personnel.

Press freedom in the North East has been seriously affected, said the delegation.

The government has agreed to hold independent inquiry into the killings of journalists with the support of the international community, the delegation said.

Sunanda Desapirya of the Free Media Movement (FMM), A. Nixon, Joint Secretary of the Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance (SLTMA) and M. Mussamil, Secretary of the Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum, thanked the international press delegation for visiting Sri Lanka in support of local journalists.

The Press Freedom and Freedom of Expression Advocacy Mission to Sri Lanka comprised delegates from the International Media Support (IMS), International Press Institute(IPI), International Federation of Journalists (IFJ), United Nationals Educational Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) and the International News Safety Institute (INSI).

The international mission sought to address threats and murders of journalists, censorship, and possible legal reforms.

At a meeting held on October 10 at the Galle Face Hotel in Colombo, Mr. R. Bharathy, the secretary of the Federation of Tamil Media Associations, and joint secretary, Mr. Nixon, explained the difficulties faced by the Tamil media in Sri Lanka.

It was pointed out that four journalists have been gunned down within the past six years by SLA Troops and the paramilitary groups. Citing the case of BBC reporter Mr. M. Nirmalarajan, killed in Jaffna on Oct 25, 2000, the delegation was told that though clues for the killing were discovered the government not only failed to conduct proper inquiries but helped the assassins flee Sri Lanka.

The meeting was also told of internationally acclaimed investigative journalist Sivaram (Taraki), who was assassinated on Apr 28, 2005, near the parliament in the country’s capital, in a High Security Zone, and though the culprits were arrested, no enquiries have yet been held.

The delegation was also told of the several incidents in Colombo in the recent past where Tamil media personnel have been selectively targeted.

Detailing the state of affairs in Colombo, the speakers said that paramilitaries collaborating with SLA personnel have effectively prevented the sale of the two newspapers in the East for the past three months.

Referring to the state of affairs in East, the delegation learnt that consequent to the killing of Mr. G. Nadesan, the reporters are afraid to work in those areas and all six senior reporters have sought refuge in foreign countries.

Sunantha Deshapiriya, summing up the situation stated that paramilitary groups with assistance of the government have registered themselves as political parties and are indulging in indiscriminate killings in North and East with the help of SLA personnel and reporters are fearful of working in these areas.

Mr. Deshapiriya also mentioned the case of Sinhala journalist Mr. Lakmal Sampath, who was allegedly killed by a Lieutenant in the Sri Lankan Army on whom no action was taken.

The IFJ is organizing another tour between October 23 and 25, with the goal of bringing more attention to journalists’ conditions in Sri Lanka and promoting media independence and safety.

The group will meet with senior colleagues as well as government and military officials, the IFJ said. The visit also includes a roundtable discussion among Sri Lankan and other South Asian editors. The topic: the challenges of independent media during times of conflict.