Jaffna dailies threatened not to cover Heroes’ Day

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 November 2010, 18:26 GMT]
Two helmeted armed men arriving on motor cycles Thursday night to the offices of two Tamil dailies published in Jaffna issued letters threatening them not to publish any news about Heroes’ Day that falls on Saturday, media sources in Jaffna said. The letter warned that the offices of dailies which fail to pay heed to the warning will be burnt.

Editors of ‘Thinamurasu’ Tamil daily of Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) owned by Sri Lanka minister Dougals Devananda, however, said that that they had not received such threatening letters, the sources added. It is obvious who the originators of the threats are, media circles in Jaffna said.

The letters had warned the dailies not to disturb the ‘free’ atmosphere prevailing in Jaffna peninsula now.

The armed men who had delivered the threat letters to two offices of the dailies had forcibly thrust the letter into the office of another daily that had been closed.

The personnel of the threatened dailies are gripped in fear as they have experienced similar threats and attacks in the past.

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