Tamil journalist killed in bombardment amounting to "war crime"
Statement by Reporters without Borders
Reporters Without Borders today expressed revulsion at the death of a Tamil journalist in a Sri Lankan Army bombardment on the north of the country, which it described as a "war crime".
[Punniyamurthy Sathyamurthy ~ 1972-2009]
Punniyamurthy Sathyamurthy was killed during an air raid on 12 February on Thevipuram, Mullaithivu district in the region of Vanni, being fought over by the army and rebel Tamil Tigers (LTTE). He had recently filed news of the plight of civilians in the latest wave of fighting.
"Army air strikes and artillery fire on areas where there are tens of thousands of civilians, including Tamil journalists, are war crimes" the worldwide press freedom organisation said.
"The death of Sathyamurthy shows the extent to which witnesses to the military offensive have no protection. We call on the international community to secure a ceasefire to save the lives of these civilians,"
it added.
Based in Vanni, controlled until recently by the LTTE, he worked with a number of Tamil media, mainly in Canada. One of his colleagues told Reporters Without Borders that he "cared passionately about the plight of the Tamil people and was not afraid of anything.(…) We cannot rule out that he was deliberately targeted", he added.
The journalist had worked for five years for Canadian Tamil Radio, Canadian Multicultural Radio and Tamil Vision International television, all based in Canada. His articles were regularly carried by websites and media of the Tamil diaspora.
He was born in 1972 in the Polanaruva district and lived at Mandatheevu. He entered journalism after studying political science at the University of Jaffna.
He was married and was the father of a six year old girl. Colleagues held a memorial gathering for him in Toronto, Canada.
4 Comments
It is a clear war crime killing reporters who actually care about the truth.
The shelling of safe areas, the genocide massacre of the elderly, innocent women, children, and murder of Tamil journalist simply because they are Tamils,is nothing but war crimes.
When these atrocities are ended, a more just world will bring to book all responsible for ethnic cleansing, as well as others, including India, who has supported this annihilation of the Tamil people.
Abraham Lincoln, born 200 years ago, on the 12th of February, signed the historic emancipation proclamation in 1863. During his presidency, he also signed the 13th amendment to the constitution of America, making it very clear, that neither slavery nor involuntary servitude should exist in the USA.
Lincoln also encouraged emancipation through education in the North East(NE) of former Ceylon and South India, where people of so called "low castes" were subject to slavery and brutal violence. Lincoln made emancipation possible by his personal interest in the education imparted by Christian missioneries of American Mission in the region.
The people of NE thank God for giving Lincoln to this world and will ever be grateful to the great missioneries from America who helped them overcome a plague of Cholera and made them receive the best education to do justice, seek equality and strive for freedom.
The history of slavery in America and the events in Sri Lanka(SL) have some painful parallels.
Africans began to migrate to America in 1619, after the founding of Jamestown, Virginia, the first British colony. They were not regarded as slaves but as "indentured servants"; as bondsmen who could look forward to freedom after a term of years. Many whites came under similar circumstances.
By 1661, the black, unlike the white "indentured servants" was regarded as bondsman for life. The blacks were denied rights which others took for granted. And this second class treatment birthed slavery in America.
The denial of rights was acute when the USA declared independence. Thomas Jefferson charged King George III of Britain with forcing slave trade on colonies.
Ceeylon became a British colony later in 1815. When Britain introduced Tamil "indentured servants" from South India, in its Tea plantations, it knew very well that it would one day change into an ugly form of slavery, experienced in America.
Because of their disgrace in America, Britain refrained from using the word "slave" instead invented the word "Coolie", with second class treatment, similar to slavery. In South Africa the term "coolie" on Indians and "kaffer" on Blacks created apartheid.
Presntly, both the "indentured servants" and the ethnic Tamils; who inhabited Ceylon for more than 2500 years, long before British came, and who had their own nation in the island, are treated as second class persons with no rights and dignity.
In 1948, when Ceylon became a dominion under Britain, the "indentured servants" were treated inhumanly. From 1948 till 1972, they were first granted citizenship, then had their citizenship revoked and were mostly deported to India with disgrace in 1990's. Some still remain stateless, working in Tea and rubber plantaions, formerly owned by the Britsh. Britain is responsible for this disgraceful state of affairs now in SL.
India, promoted this human disgrace by agreeing with SL to forcibly uproot hundreds of thousands of stateless Tamils, from places they lived for generations and to plant them against their wwill in India.
The present position of Tamils under the genocidal Sri Lankan army is devastatsting. People are held in IDP camps under the miltary. They are becoming "concentration camps" of the 1940's. Reports of people being taken by soldiers and killed in mass graves are coming out. There are no independent reoprters. Blatant lies are broadcast by the "military spokesman" for world consumption.
There is an urgent need for complete emancipation of Tamils now and not later. The presidency of Barrack Obama is very appropriate.
My condolences to the family.