News

News

Uthayan attack: RSF wants miscreants arrested soon
Reporters Sans Frontiers today condemned the murder of two Uthayan employees in a May 2 shooting attack on the Tamil-language daily newspaper Uthayan in Jaffna. The attack took place a day after the newspaper carried a cartoon on pro-government EPDP leader Douglas Devananda.

"We appeal to the authorities to carry out an investigation that quickly leads to the arrest of those responsible," Reporters Sans Frontiers said. "Suspicion once again falls on the EPDP, which is known for using intimidation and violence. As this attack followed the publication of a cartoon of Mr. Devananda, we urge the police to question the EPDP's leader as part of their enquiries."

The attack occurred as dozens of world news media representatives were gathering in Colombo to mark World Press Freedom Day the following day.
Five gunmen who burst into the Uthayan's office in Jaffna demanded to see deputy editor R. Kuhanathan and on learning he was not in, the gunmen opened fire on the staff and equipment.

Marketing manager Suresh Kumar, 35, and another employee, Ranjith Kumar, 28, were shot dead. Two others sustained bullet wounds and several computers were destroyed. The Uthayan newspaper has already been the target of militia attacks in the past.

Reporters Sans Frontiers also condemned the failure to identify and punish those responsible for the murders of other journalists such as Mayilvaganam Nimalarajan, a contributor to the BBC and several Sri Lankan media and Dharmaretnam Sivaram, the editor of the Tamilnet news website and a columnist for the Sri Lankan Daily Mirror newspaper.

A Reporters Sans Frontiers representative who came to Sri Lanka for World Press Freedom Day spoke to many journalists in Jaffna who said they were constantly being threatened because of their work and lived in fear.

Top

Back to News