Unidentified youths prevent THINAKURAL sale in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 09 March 2004, 13:59 GMT]
An unidentified group of persons is reported to have forcibly removed several parcels containing more than three thousand copies of a leading Tamil daily "THINAKURAL" between Valaichchenai and Vantharumoolai in Batticaloa district Tuesday morning when they were transported from Colombo to Batticaloa for distribution, sources said.

THINAKURAL daily newspaper is published simultaneously from Colombo and Jaffna, sources said.

According to reports received from Batticaloa some youths entered a bus near Valaichchenai and forcibly removed THINAKURAL parcels leaving other newspaper parcels, sources said. Later the group had warned those concerned not to bring THINAKURAL newspaper to Batticaloa for distribution in future, sources said.

This matter has been brought to the notice of the Free Media Movement, Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance and other media organizations, sources said.