200 Journalists stage protest demo in Tamil Nadu

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 January 2009, 16:25 GMT]
More than 200 journalists and media persons staged a protest demonstration at the Chennai Press Club premises Wednesday condemning the killing of journalists in Sri Lanka, particularly the assassination of Sunday Leader's editor Lasanta Wicremtunge. They condemned the fact that reporters who expose the killing of innocent Tamil civilians and children, or who document the human rights abuses in the island are being systematically eliminated by the government.

Speakers at the meeting, blamed the Sri Lankan Government for refusing to institute any probe into the assassination of political journalists. Sudden arrests, kidnaps and murders of journalists have become the order of the day. "Irrespective of whether a journalist is Sinhalese or Tamil, if he opposes the war, he is finished off by the Government," they charged.

Those who participated included Times of India's political editor Jaya Menon, City Editor, Arun Ram; Assistant Editor, D.Sureshkumar; and senior reporters Gunasekaran, Aravindan, Jeeva and Cheif Photographer Sankar; The Indian Express City Editor Babu Jayakumar; NDTV's editor Jennifer Arul; Sun TV's News-editor Raja; Nakkeeran editor Gopal, Assistant editor Kamaraj and Lenin; India Today's sub-editors Senthil, Kalanidhi, Mahalingam and Duraiarasan; and representatives from various Tamil and English dailies and weekly magazines.

Senior members of the Madras Union of Journalists and the Chennai Press Club also took part.

Senior journalist A.S.Paneerselvam read out the Lasanta's last article to the other protesters.