Acid attack on Tamil reporter in Colombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 August 2007, 00:01 GMT]
Reporters sans frontières (RSF) condemned the physical attack against a Tamil journalist from Tamil daily Thinakkural Thursday in Colombo, a press release issued by RSF said. The victim, K Palamohan, 50, was attacked by Sri Lanka military in Colombo also on 28 June after being taken into a Buddhist temple in the High Security Zone in Fort in Colombo.

Full text of the press release issued by RSF follows:

Reporters Without Borders is outraged by the latest physical attack on Kalimuttu Palamohan, a journalist with the Tamil daily Thinakkural, who is better known by the pen-name of K. P. Mohan. Acid was thrown at him as he was returning to his Colombo home yesterday afternoon. He was admitted to hospital with acid burns.

A specialist in military affairs, he was recently hospitalised for a week after being attacked by soldiers near the capital on 27 and 28 June.

On the incident on 28 June, the Tamil journalist was on his way to cover an event at the nearby Presidential Secretariat when he was attacked. The airmen, during this incident, handed over the Tamil journalist to the Fort Police saying that the journalist was trying to jump at the Air Force Commander's vehicle who was also due to arrive at the Presidential Secretariat.

The same journalist was also intimidated by airmen the previous day Wednesday when he was returning to his office after covering a press conference about the defense situation given by minister Keheliya Rambukwella. The incident took place at Galle face green when the airmen refused accept the Media Accreditation card issued by the Sri Lankan Government.

Chronology: