Tamil journalist's home attacked

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 April 2000, 05:42 GMT]
A grenade was lobbed at the house of senior Tamil journalist 'Nellai' G. Nadesan in the early hours of the morning today around 1 a.m. in the high security zone of Batticaloa town. Mr.Nadesan is a senior correspondent in the eastern town for several electronic media and political columnist for the Sunday edition of the Tamil daily, Virakesari . His home is in the high security zone of the Sri Lanka army's 233 brigade headquarters and is in the vicinity of the well defended camps of four Tamil para-military groups and the military intelligence in the heart of Batticaloa town.

The explosion damaged the electricity connection to his house and parts of its verandah. Mr. Nadesan had been threatened on several occasions before for his reporting.

The Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP), the Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF - Varatharajapperumal faction), the Razeek group (a Tamil paramilitary unit of the SLA) and the People's Liberation Organisation of Thamil Eelam (PLOTE) have their fortified offices cum camps in this neighbourhood.

The local unit of the SLA's military intelligence also has its camp in the area.

A spokesman for the Eastern Journalists Association said that it was virtually impossible for anyone to lob a grenade at a house in this high security zone and walk away undetected. He said that the organisation will take up the matter with the Police and the brigade commander for Batticaloa.