Subramaniyam Sugirdharajan

Infobox journalist
name = Subramaniyam Sugirdharajan


birth_date=1970
birth_place=Sri Lanka
death_date=January 24, 2006, age 35
death_place=Trincomalee
occupation = Journalist
ethnic = Sri Lankan Tamil
credits =

Subramaniyam Sugirdharajan (1970 – January 24, 2006), popularly known as SSR, was a journalist working for the Tamil language daily Sudaroli. He was shot dead in Eastern port city of Trincomalee in Sri Lanka as part of the ongoing Sri Lankan civil war. He was 35 years and father of two children aged three and two. Assailants were on a motorbike and fired at him from close range. [cite news|url= http://www.newssafety.com/casualties/journalists06.htm| date= 2007-06-25|title=Journalists & Media Staff Casualties 2006|publisher=News Safety | accessdate =2007-06-25]

Background

He was killed a day after writing an article about alleged abuses committed by para-military groups, reported Free Media Movement (FMM), Reporters Without Borders and the Committee to Protect Journalists(CPJ).cite news|url= http://southasia.oneworld.net/article/view/126161/1/| date= 2007-06-25|title= Sri Lankan journalist killed as truce deteriorates 2006|publisher=Oneworld| accessdate =2007-06-25] According to RSF, Sugirdharajan named the Eelam People's Democratic Party (EPDP) among several groups in his article that allegedly committed human rights violations in the Trincomalee region.

The news paper he worked for also ran photos taken by Sugirdharajan showing that five Trincomalee students were shot dead at point-blank range on January 2, 2006, disproving the army's claim that they were killed by a grenade explosion.

Incident

He was shot dead at about 6 a.m. (local time) on January 24 as he was waiting for public transport to go to work. His killers used a motorcycle to get away after shooting him. Police went to the scene of the murder. He was gunned down near the governor's secretariat. [cite news|url= http://www.ifex.org/en/content/view/full/71801
date= 2007-06-25|title= Journalist's killing reportedly linked to coverage of paramilitary abuses|publisher=IFEX| accessdate =2007-06-25 ]

Government Investigation

The international Press institute has called in for impartial government investigation. [cite news|url= http://www.freemedia.at/cms/ipi/missions_detail.html?ctxid=CH0065&docid=CMS1160987735504&category=all| date= 2007-06-25|title= Joint Mission to Sri Lanka - International Advocacy and Fact Finding|publisher=IPI| accessdate =2007-06-25 ]

ee also

*Sri Lankan civil war
*Human Rights in Sri Lanka
*Notable assassinations of the Sri Lankan Civil War

References

External links

* [http://www.freemedia.at/PDF_Reports/SriLanka_mission_report.pdf Sri Lanka mission report]
* [http://www.rsf.org/article.php3?id_article=10956 Nine recommendations for improving media freedom in Sri Lanka – RSF]
* [http://www.humanrights-geneva.info/article.php3?id_article=1618 Media in Sri Lanka]
* [http://www.ifj-asia.org/page/sri_lanka1.html Free Speech in Sri Lanka]