Sri Lankan police assault Tamil journalist in Jaffna

by Thusiyan
Feb 20, 2019

Sri Lankan police have assaulted a Tamil journalist in Jaffna earlier today, leading to him being admitted into hospital for treatment of his injuries

Journalist Nadarajah Kugaraj had travelled to Kokkuvil to cover an attack on a house in the area, which reportedly had petrol bombs thrown at it overnight.

Whilst at the scene, Sri Lankan police from Koppay assaulted the journalist, who is also a former LTTE cadre, leaving him injured and bloodied.

He has since been admitted to Jaffna hospital.

The attack on Kugaraj comes as Sri Lankan security forces have stepped up their intimidation and harassment of journalists in recent months. Earlier this month freelance journalist Selvaraja Sumanthan was photographed and videoed by soldiers in Mullaitivu, before being warned by a senior army official to halt his work and leave the area. 

Related news:

Army threatens journalist in Mullaitivu

TID resumes targeting of Tamil Guardian correspondent, issuing 12th summons to friend 

Foreign journalist intimidated in Sri Lanka

Harassment of TG correspondent recalls Sri Lanka’s worst period of persecution of Tamil journalists - RSF

Sri Lanka has historically been one of the most dangerous places in the world for a journalist, with report by Together Against Genocide finding that from 2004 until 2009 at least 48 journalists were killed.  At least 41 of those media workers were Tamil. See more here.

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Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.

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