2005, a black year for Tamil media journalists in Sri Lanka- SLTMA
[TamilNet, Thursday, 16 March 2006, 18:33 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance (SLTMA) in its annual report said 2005
was a black year for Tamil media journalists in the country. "We lost
three Tamil media persons including Mr.D.Sivaram, a reputed journalist and
military analyst," the annual report said. The annual general meeting of
the SLTMA was held last Sunday evening at Hotel Ranmuthu in Colpetty in
Colombo. Mr.S.Rajkumar was elected President, Mr.R.Barati General
re-elected Secretary and Mr.S.Sri Gajan, re-elected Treasurer for the year
2006, sources said.
Excerpts from the annual report follow: - "The ceasefire agreement now holding in Sri Lanka since February 22, 2002
has not guaranteed the security of Tamil media journalists. In the last
year 2005 three Tamil journalists had been brutally killed. Mr.D.Sivaram, a
well- known journalist at national and international level and who played a
vital role in forming the Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance was brutally
murdered. Other two Tamil journalists were Mr.S.Suhirtharajan, Trincomalee
correspondent for Sudar Oli, Tamil daily and Mrs. Relanki Selvarajah, Tamil
broadcaster. Jaffna offices of the two Tamil daily newspapers had been subjected to
search by the government security forces. Grenade was thrown at the Colombo
office of the Sudar Oli. Security forces assaulted journalists in Jaffna
district when they were on duty. The attack on Tamil media by government
security forces has increased last year. The security forces had taken
Tamil journalists in Colombo for interrogation under the Emergency Regulations The Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance joining with other media associations
including the Free Media Movement in the country has voiced its serious
concern against the suppression and oppression on the Tamil media by the
government forces. International media associations have also expressed
their solidarity with Sri Lanka Tamil journalists."
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