Hartal to protest journalist's slaying

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 October 2000, 19:56 GMT]
A hartal was observed on Friday in Batticaloa, Trincomalee and Vavuniya to protest against the killing of Jaffna based journalist Mylvaganam Nimalanathan allegedly by pro-government militiamen. Shops and schools were closed and few reported for work in government offices, sources said.

Journalists picketing out side Fort railway station in Colombo on 25 October 2000.Photo:TamilNet

Reports from Vavuniya said banks and few shops which were opened in the morning were closed by noon. Students at the Vavuniya Campus boycotted their lectures and only some out station busses were functioning.

Sources in Batticaloa town said, Sri Lanka Army soldiers failed to compel shop owners to open for business. Black flags were hoisted on most houses and shops in the town area. A bus which was on its way to Trincomalee was stoned at Eravur, the sources said.

All activities in Trincomalee town also came to a standstill TamilNet correspondent said.

Nimalarajan was the Jaffna correspondent for the Tamil daily Virakesari, the independent Tamil radio station, Sooriyan FM, the popular Sinhala political weekly, Ravaya, the Tamil and Sinhala services of the BBC. He was also the secretary of the Northern Journalists' Association.

Protest march held in the northern town of Vavuniya on Tuesday, 24 October 2000.

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