Tamil Media Alliance condemns Sivaram's murder

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 April 2005, 14:12 GMT]
Sri Lanka Tamil Media Alliance (SLTA) Friday condemned the murder of journalist Dharmeratnam Sivaram and said that the death threatens media freedom in Sri Lanka. "Especially the discovery of the body in a high security zone closer to the symbol of democracy, the Sri Lanka parliament, sends a chilling message to the journalists who are already working in an atmosphere of fear," the statement added.

Full text of the statement from SLTMA follows:

The Srilanka Tamil Media Alliance strongly condemns the gruesome killing of veteran journalist Dharmeratnam Sivaram, who was popularly known as "TARAKI."

Sivaram was abducted by unidentified persons on Thursday night and his body was later found at Thalangama with gunshot injuries.

Using Taraki as his pen name, Sivaram contributed immensely to the contemporary political and military issues in the country.

His thorough analytical reports were well received and read widely through out Sri Lanka and abroad.

The killing of Sivaram is an irreparable loss to the media community in Sri Lanka.

His gruesome some death has also threatened the journalists with independent thinking and the media freedom at large. Especially the discovery of the body in a high security zone closer to the symbol of democracy, the Sri Lanka parliament, sends a chilling message to the journalists already working in an atmosphere of fear.

The Srilanka Tamil media Alliance appeals to the government to make a thorough investigation into the killing and expedite the process o apprehending the assassins.

The SLTMA also expresses its deepest sympathies to Siva ram's wife, children and other member's of his family.