JJA, TELO condemn attack on Tamil journalist

[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 January 2003, 02:43 GMT]
Jaffna Journalists Association (JJA) strongly condemned the attack on Tamil Journalist, S. Jeyananandamoorthy, in a report published today adding that the carefully planned attack raises suspicion that the perpertrators intended to kill him. Tamil Eelam Liberation Organization (TELO) in its press release also condemned the attack.

JJA's report said that during Peoples Alliance (PA) Government, attacks on journalists were common, and the case of Mylvaganam Nirmalarajan, the BBC Tamil journalist who was murdered allegedly by Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP) cadres during Chandrika Bandaranaike's rule, is still awaiting justice in Sri Lanka courts.

The report added that it is shocking that violence against journalists is continuing under the United National Front (UNF) government and mentioned the incident in Nelliady recently where another Tamil journalist was injured.

TELO's report said: "During the war Jeyanandamoorthy worked amidst threats to his life to carry out his reporting duties. The elements who tried to suppress his voice must be identified and promptly prosecuted."

"Action must be taken against the armed groups that are posing a challenge to the climate of peace and to the Tamil-Muslim amity," TELO's report added.