EPDP, Sri Lankan CID jointly harass newspaper editors in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 October 2014, 21:18 GMT]
Sri Lankan military and police establishments in Jaffna and Vanni mainland have intensified threats against Tamil journalists and activists in recent days. Sri Lankan Terrorist Investigation Division, Criminal Investigation Division, Intelligence operatives of Defence Ministry and paramilitary operatives are jointly deployed in a systematic programme suppressing the freedom of expression, an editor of a daily newspaper told TamilNet Wednesday. The SL police CID have deployed EPDP operatives twice within the last month to stage protests against Jaffna Thinakkural.

While the SL military intelligence establishment is harassing the journalists individually, a collective harassment is being carried out through staging so-called protests, said the editor, who did not wish to be named.

On Tuesday, EPDP brought around 20 of its operatives and supporters in Sri Lankan CID vehicle to stage a protest against the paper. The ‘protestors’ were complaining about a news item appeared in the paper in connection with a sexual abuse of a child.

“Earlier, the SL military used to issue direct death threats deploying armed EPDP operatives. Now, they stage threatening protests aiming to disturb the coverage and editorial work of the staff,” the editor said.

Two weeks ago, a similar protest was staged in front of Thinakkural office in Jaffna by the EPDP. The EPDP ‘protesters’ were then citing another news item to stage their protest.