Taraki Sivaram remembered

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 April 2007, 10:14 GMT]
"We once again remember with pride the service rendered to the media by Taraki Sivaram. He exercised his right to freedom of expression without fear. We bear this in our minds as we take it among the people on his second death anniversary," the statement issued by North Sri Lanka Journalists Association (NSLJA) Friday said. Members of NSLJA and Jaffna University Media Research & Training Centre (MRTC) jointly took part in the first event of a programme launched to remember Taraki Sivaram, the well-known, political analyst and senior editor of TamilNet, on the second anniversary of his assassination on 28 April 2005.

Displaced refugee pupils of Thenmaradchy, presently studying in makeshift schools were the recipients of much needed educational requirements worth thousands of rupees, given in fond remembrance of Taraki Sivaram, in the first event of its kind, held Friday.

Nearly 200 students, displaced due to Sri Lanka Army (SLA) offensives on civilian settlements in Thenmaradchi and located in Meesalai, Kodikamam area, received the educational materials.

More than 20 media persons and students took part in the event at Kodikamam Thirunavukaraasu Mahavidyalam which began with 'Silent Homage' paid to Taraki Sivaram.



A girl student of Meesalai Vigneswara college whose house was totally burnt in a SLA Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher attack Thursday on Tanguthodam, Kachchai in Thenmaradchi, received additional help from the organizers of the event.

NSLJA and the Jaffna University MRTC will be holding similar memorial events, in remebrance of Taraki Sivaram during the coming days, at several places in the peninsula, the organizers said.

Reporters Without Borders (RSF), the International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) and the Sri Lanka Free Media Movement (FMM) all voiced outrage on the lack of progress in the investigation into the murder of Dharmaretnam Sivaram and said "the current serious crisis in Sri Lanka - the result of unacceptable terrorism - in no way justifies the impunity prevailing in the murders of journalists and human rights activists," in a press release issued Friday, titled TamilNet editor's murder still unpunished, impunity prevails in Sri Lanka.


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