(FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 25 October 2006 FMM press release: 20,000 copies of Tamil Daily Virakesari burned by Para military group Free Media Movement (FMM) registers its strong condemnation of continuing threats and harassment directed at Tamil-language media in Sri Lanka. On 23 October 2006, 10,000 copies of the Tamil daily newspaper “Virakesari” […]
(FMM/IFEX) – The following is a 25 October 2006 FMM press release:
20,000 copies of Tamil Daily Virakesari burned by Para military group
Free Media Movement (FMM) registers its strong condemnation of continuing threats and harassment directed at Tamil-language media in Sri Lanka. On 23 October 2006, 10,000 copies of the Tamil daily newspaper “Virakesari” were burned by a paramilitary organization, the Karuna group, which operates in the east of Sri Lanka, relevant authorities of “Virakesari” told FMM. This is only the latest incident in a series of killings, acts of harassment and threats directed towards Tamil-language media in Sri Lanka.
An group of 10 to 15 armed men stopped a private bus and a van transporting copies of “Virakesari”, as well as another newspaper, “Metro News”, for distribution, and burned nearly 10,000 copies of the former.
The incident took place near Kiran, Batticaclo, around 3:30 a.m. Kiran is in the government-controlled territory of Batticaclo.
The Karuna group has political party offices, protected by Sri Lankan security forces, in government-controlled areas in the east and in Colombo.
According to the website Tamil.net, the armed men took the bus driver’s mobile phone and asked him to collect it at the office of the Karuna group. Three months earlier, the shop of the newspaper’s agent, Murugesu & Sons, located on the Main Street in Batticaloa, was burned down by armed gangs.
“Virakesari” has been the only Tamil-language newspaper distributed in the east for some time now. Two other Tamil dailies, “Sudar Oli” and “Thinakural”, were banned in the beginning of the year in Batticaloa and Amparai, allegedly by the Karuna group. According to the “Sudar Oli” management, one-third of their circulation has dropped due to this ban.
FMM urges the government to take urgent steps to reverse this situation so that Tamil-language newspapers can be distributed freely and people living in the eastern province of Sri Lanka will have the choice to read whatever newspaper they like.
