(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to President and Media Minister Chandrika Kumaratunga, RSF expressed its deep concern about the intimidation against the daily “Divaina” by Mervyn Silva, Colombo organiser for the ruling People’s Alliance coalition. “Considering that the electoral campaign has just begun, such threats are not promising,” RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard said. “It would […]
(RSF/IFEX) – In a letter to President and Media Minister Chandrika Kumaratunga, RSF expressed its deep concern about the intimidation against the daily “Divaina” by Mervyn Silva, Colombo organiser for the ruling People’s Alliance coalition. “Considering that the electoral campaign has just begun, such threats are not promising,” RSF Secretary-General Robert Ménard said. “It would be advisable for parties to calm down their members during the campaign,” he added.
According to information collected by RSF, on 22 October 2001, Silva and seven other people, some of whom were armed, forced their way into the newspaper’s editorial office and threatened the journalists who were present. They first pushed aside security personnel, then asked to see journalist Janitha Seviratne, who was absent at the time. Silva then threatened Seviratne with physical violence for publishing a 19 October article about his nomination for the forthcoming parliamentary elections. The attackers left, threatening to visit “Divaina” journalists’ homes. The newspaper’s editor, Upali Tennekoon, and “Divaina” security personnel have lodged complaints at the Kotahena police station.
In October 2000, BBC correspondent Mylvaganam Nimalajaran was killed in what many believe was an election related assassination (see IFEX alerts of 19 October, 19 and 6 April 2001, 10 November and 20 October 2000).
