North-East to shut down over Nadesan's murder

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 June 2004, 14:47 GMT]
Media associations in the North-East province Tuesday called for a general shut down (Hartal) on Wednesday to condemn the slaying of a leading Tamil journalist, Mr. Aiyathurai Nadesan, who was shot dead by unknown gunmen on Monday in Batticaloa town, sources said.

The Liberation Tigers have alleged that Mr. Nadesan's murder is part of a campaign by elements of the Sri Lanka Army against their cadres and intellectuals supporting their political stand in the Batticaloa-Amparai region.

The SLA is using several Tamil paramilitary groups, including the 'Karuna' group that recently broke away from the LTTE, in its campaign, the Tigers say. The head of the LTTE's political wing in Batticaloa-Amparai, Mr. E. Kausalyan, said in May, "Karuna's rebellion has become routine explanation for the attacks on [the LTTE]. But these are being organized by the Sinhala military."

The Jaffna Journalists Association (JJA) and other Journalists associations in the Jaffna district Tuesday issued statements appealing to traders for a complete shut-down of business establishments and stoppage of transport services Wednesday in the peninsula to condemn the slaying of Mr.Nadesan.

The East Lanka Journalists Association, South East Journalists Association and Amparai District Journalists Association have also issued statements calling for a completed general shut-down (Hartal) Wednesday.

The Amparai District Journalist Association issued a statement condemning the killing of Mr.Nadesan. The statement said the killing of Mr.Nadesan was a direct assault on press freedom.