(FMM/IFEX) – At around 10:30 p.m. (local time) on 28 April 2005, Darmaratnam Sivaram, a member of the editorial board of Tamilnet website and a political columnist for the English-language daily “The Daily Mirror”, was abducted in Colombo by unknown individuals, according to eyewitnesses who spoke to FMM. Sivaram was coming out of a restaurant […]
(FMM/IFEX) – At around 10:30 p.m. (local time) on 28 April 2005, Darmaratnam Sivaram, a member of the editorial board of Tamilnet website and a political columnist for the English-language daily “The Daily Mirror”, was abducted in Colombo by unknown individuals, according to eyewitnesses who spoke to FMM.
Sivaram was coming out of a restaurant after having a drink with two friends when the abductors intercepted him on the street and pushed one of the friends who was walking with him out of the way. They forced the journalist into a jeep and sped off. The restaurant is located opposite the Bamabalapitiya police station.
In 2004, police searched Sivaram’s house on two occasions but were unable to find anything incriminatory. Sivaram has been branded as a pro-LTTE (Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam) journalist by various extreme political parties and groups.
FMM is very concerned for Sivaram’s life and fears his kidnapping could be an action by rebel militant groups. The organisation urges international press freedom organisations to act immediately to secure his release.
