(FMM/IFEX) – The following is an FMM press release: Death threat to senior journalist Mr. P. Manikavasagam The FMM expresses its utmost concern regarding the death threat received by senior Tamil journalist P. Manikavasagam on 7 May 2003. Mr. Manikavasagam is former president of the Tamil Media Alliance and the Vanni Journalists Association. In the […]
(FMM/IFEX) – The following is an FMM press release:
Death threat to senior journalist Mr. P. Manikavasagam
The FMM expresses its utmost concern regarding the death threat received by senior Tamil journalist P. Manikavasagam on 7 May 2003.
Mr. Manikavasagam is former president of the Tamil Media Alliance and the Vanni Journalists Association. In the late 1990s, he was arrested by the state security forces and kept in remand for three months without any legal action against him being taken.
According to the Tamil Media Alliance, on 7 May 2003, at 10:05 p.m., Mr. Manikavasagam received a death threat via a telephone call.
According to the CLI (Caller Line Identification) unit connected to his telephone, the call originated from the number 023-32822, and he learnt that this telephone belonged to the office of EPRLF (a paramilitary group working with the government).
Mr. Manikavasagam has filed a complaint at the Vavunia police station in this regard (complaint No. CIB 1344/219). Mr. P. Manikavasagam is working as the Vavunia provincial correspondent for the BBC and Verakesary, a Tamil daily.
The FMM vehemently condemns this threat against Mr. Manikavasagam and requests that the government immediately take appropriate action to safeguard the life of Mr. Manikavasagam, to enable him to practice his profession without any fear or threat. The FMM requests that the Vavunia police conduct an impartial inquiry into this incident, to apprehend the persons responsible for this act.
At the same time, the FMM condemns the threatening behaviour of some members of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) on 1 May 2003, in the same city, Vavunia.
According to the Vanni Journalists Association, LTTE members threatened two Sinhala-language journalists from the mainstream media who were covering the May Day rally.
The FMM requests that the LTTE conduct an impartial inquiry into this incident and take action to discipline their cadres and stop this kind of harassment of journalists in the future.
In a situation where peace negotiations between the government and the LTTE have been suspended and intensive discussions are being held to resume the talks, it is very important that journalists working in the war-affected areas are provided with an environment free of fear to carry out their profession. Without a free and responsible media, people will not be able to voice their concerns regarding the peace process.
Freedom of expression is not a luxury but a necessary precondition to achieve a democratic peace in Sri Lanka.
Sunanda Deshapriya
Convenor, FMM
Victor Ivan
Secretary, FMM
