Sri Lanka committed to repression of Tamil

journalists Jaffna Press Club

29 July 2014
The Jaffna Press Club strongly condemns the treatment meted out by the
military to Tamil journalists, travelling to a work shop in Colombo, and
accused the ri !ankan security forces of deliberately placing marijuana in
the vehicle they were travelling in"
#n a statement, the group said that ri !anka is committed to preventing
journalists from the $orth from fostering a relationship with journalists in
the south in every way %and& repressing them by any means available"
'n one hand, as the ri !ankan government is trying to portray the
journalists of the %Jaffna& peninsula as terrorists, on the other, it is taking
measures to ensure their circle of contacts does not widen, the statement
charged"
The statement described how the journalists were followed by vehicles,
from Jaffna, before being stopped at (aankulam and 'manthai, by
members of the police and the military"
Journalists witnessed the placement of the marijuana by a soldier, before it
was picked up by the police who then took the journalists to the police
station in 'manthai, where they confiscated the journalists) mobile phones
and laptops"
They were released the ne*t day, however the driver of their vehicle was
arrested"
ee full statement here"
ee below for related stories"
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,uestioning -./ July .0123
(ilitary stop Tamil journalists travelling to press workshop, driver
detained -.4 July .0123
Jaffna Press Club Statement on harassment of
Tamil journalists
The ri !ankan government states the $orthern Province has recovered
from the clutches of three decades of war" 5owever, in the $orth,
particularly within the Jaffna peninsula, intense threats against the media,
which is described as the 2th pillar of democracy, are still seen"
The incident that took place yesterday at the 'manthai check point in
6avuniya is a very good e*ample of what we have stated above" 7esterday
on 8riday, at 9pm, 14 journalists from the Jaffna peninsula travelled to
attend a training workshop taking place in Colombo today about security
for journalists"
:nidentified people followed the journalists from Jaffna town, as they were
travelling in two vehicles" ;t this point, military police who stopped the
journalists at the (aankulam region, recorded the journalists< name,
address as well as their identity card number" =hilst the details were being
recorded, only one of them was wearing military police uniform, the other
three were wearing civilian clothes"
=hen the journalists ,uestioned why are you inspecting us>, the only
reason they stated was? we stopped your vehicle at the @lephant Pass
check point, however you did not stop"
;fter this, when the journalists continued their journey and reached
'manthai check point, there were up to 4 vehicles present for inspection"
5owever, 9 army soldiers and A police officers only inspected the vehicles
that the journalists travelled in"
;s everything in the vehicle was being vigorously inspected, one army
soldier placed a cigarette bo* under the driver<s seat" ;s A of the journalists
who travelled in the vehicle were watching, a police officer took it and said
there were drugs -marijuana3 inside"
Then the police took the vehicle and the journalists to the 'manthai police
station" There the police confiscated the journalists< identity cards as well
as mobile phones and laptops" !ater, after media organisations in the south
learnt of the incident and spoke to the police, the journalists< belongings
were returned" 5owever the police stated they must arrest the driver"
@ven when the journalists, who saw the army soldier place the cigarette
bo*, said, you can<t arrest the driver, arrest the soldier, there was no
action taken" :nder these circumstances, the journalists continued their
journey to Colombo from the police station today, early on aturday
morning, at 9am"
Therefore, whilst we point out that this act by the army was very well
planned, we also strongly condemn such immoral acts" 8rom this incident
we conclude that the ri !ankan government is committed to preventing
journalists from the $orth from fostering a relationship with journalists in
the south in every way %and& repressing them by any means available"
;t this moment, we remember when inhala chauvinist groups twice drove
away journalists from the Jaffna peninsula, who had gone to a journalists<
training workshop, preventing them from taking part"
'n one hand, as the ri !ankan government is trying to portray the
journalists of the %Jaffna& peninsula as terrorists, on the other, it is taking
measures to ensure their circle of contacts does not widen"
Therefore, whilst we strongly condemn such dreadful and immoral actions,
we wish to highlight that Jaffna journalists are working amid such
harassment and deceptive efforts by the ri !ankan government"