Tamil journalists in Jaffna expose SL military denial of confronting media coverage

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 December 2017, 23:09 GMT]
Eight journalists from Jaffna, who went to Tha'n'ni-mu'rippu tank last Saturday in Karaithu'raip-pattu in Mullaiththeevu to witness and report on the alleged role of the occupying Army and Police of genocidal Sri Lanka in promoting Sinhala intruders to engage in fishing in the reservoir, said the SL military command and the SL Police were now lying on their involvement in the threat against the journalists. SL military and Police blocked the journalists and forced the journalists to delete the photos and video evidences citing ‘national security’. A civil military officer of the SLA was also trying to confiscate their media equipment, one of the journalists K. Hamsan, told TamilNet. The journalists also blamed foreign diplomats, particularly Colombo-based defence attaché of the British High Commission, who has given diplomatic recognition to the occupying military at the locality.



The SL military at Tha’n’ni-mu’rippu has been disregarding the requests of the Northern Provincial Council and the civil authorities in Mullaiththeevu and has been operating against Tamils, the journalists pointed out.



The SL military is using such recognition by foreign diplomats, particularly that of military nature, to justify its discriminative presence, occupation and misconduct, the journalist further said.

SL Military Spokesman Brigadier Rohan Seneviratne in Colombo has refused any role by the military in the incident. He was citing the commander of SL military in Mullaiththeevu and said SL military was not aware of any incident at Tha’n’ni-mu’rippu as the Tamil journalists have claimed.

But, the journalists have released photographic evidence of SL military personnel who were involved in the episode.

In one photograph, a military person is seen arguing with the journalists at the site.

Another photograph depicts the officer walking towards the SLA base accompanied by soldiers in military uniform.

The journalists also said SL military was engaged in setting up new bunds with the intention to block Tamils from accessing the reservoir as the Tamil villagers had complained.



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