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Visiting British Prime Minister David Cameron, who was the first Head of Government to visit the Jaffna peninsula since the country gained Independence in 1948, on Friday assured journalists and management of the Uthayan newspaper in Jaffna that he will convey their concerns about safety and take up issues of media freedom with the Sri Lankan Government.

The assurance came during a 20 minute meeting with E. Saravanapavanan, Managing Director of Uthayan Publications and the newspaper’s editor M.V .Kanamailanathan during the PM’s visit to the Uthayan newspaper office in Jaffna.

David Cameron holds discussions with E. Saravanapavanan Managing Director of Uthayan Publications and the newspaper’s editor M.V .Kanamailanathan

During his discussions Mr. Cameron raised questions about the attacks on and abductions of journalists and media institutions in the North with focus on the attacks made at Uthayan, Mr. Sarvanapavan told the Sunday Times.
“There were several attacks carried out on Uthayan. We continuously lodged complaints with the police but they did not carry out proper investigations. If the Government had acted properly, there was no necessity for the British Prime Minister to visit us,” the Managing Director said.

During the discussions, a document listing all the cases was handed over to Prime Minister Cameron. This document listed more than 30 incidents and attacks on the Uthayan publications carried out during the last 10 years.

“There are so many killings, abductions and attacks taking place in the North, but the Government is least bothered,” he said.
Mr. Saravanabavan said a copy of a fake Uthayan newspaper which was distributed on the Northern PC polls day was handed over to the Prime Minister during the discussions.

The British premier visiting an IDP camp in Maruthanamadam, Chunnakam

“We are not inviting any of the visitors. They are visiting us on their own. Therefore nobody can blame us and point out that we are tarnishing the image of the country,” he said. He added that the Government should be aware that the international community is vigilantly observing the human rights violation that is presently taking place in the country.

Speaking to the Uthayan journalists the British Prime Minister had said that he will act in order to protect the rights of the journalists and media freedom in the North. Meanwhile Mr. Cameron met the Northern Province Chief Minister C.V Wigneswaran at the Jaffna Library and held discussions for around 20 minutes. TNA Parliamentarians R. Sampanthan and M.A Sumanthiran also participated.

Mr. Sumanthiran who attended the meeting told the Sunday Times that the Prime Minister said he feels an approach with reasonable objectivity is very essential to address all the grievances of the Tamil people. The Premier had said especially the issue of disappearances is very sensitive thus requiring a credible independent investigation, failing which an international investigation is required.

The TNA Parliamentarians also told the Prime Minister that women in the North are vulnerable to sexual abuse and de-culturalisation. “We highlighted the fact that there are obstacles faced in carrying out the functions of the Northern Provincial Council due to lack of understanding with the Governor who is a retired military higher up,” he said.

The two Parliamentarians also expressed their views on a meaningful political solution which ensures maximum devolution similar to a federal system within an undivided country, which is very much essential to address all the grievances of the Tamil community and to establish peace in the country..

“We told Mr. Cameron that the North is highly militarised and the military has taken over the private lands of the people and is using them for non-military purposes as well,” they said. Soon after the meeting was over and the British premier was leaving, family members of those who had disappeared during the conflict made an attempt to stop the vehicles to personally hand over petitions to the Prime Minister. However the vehicles had driven off.

Inspecting the burnt printing press of the Uthayan newspaper

However they had briefly spoken to the British journalists who travelled along with the Prime Minister.  These family members, however, handed over their petitions to the journalists. Meanwhile, the TNA delegation which was leaving the meeting was confronted by the same family members. An assurance was given by the TNA members that they would collect any petitions and personally hand them over to Mr. Cameron.

A pro-government protest was also held close to the library demanding that Britain does not interfere in internal matters of the country. Prime Minister Cameron later visited an IDP camp in Maruthanamadam, Chunnakam.The camp consists of huts where 450 families displaced over 23 years ago are still living. They are residents of Madagal and Thaiitty which have been designated as high security zones.

Speaking with the aid of a translator Mr. Cameron inquired as to how long they have been living there and as to why they were not returning to their original lands. The inmates in the camp urged the premier to expedite their resettlement process by conveying this matter to the Sri Lankan Government.