Sinnathamby Sivamaharajah

Infobox journalist
name = Sinnathamby Sivamaharajah


birth_date=
birth_place=Jaffna, Sri Lanka
death_date=August 20, 2006
death_place=Jaffna
occupation = Editor and Publisher of Namathu Eelanadu newspaper
ethnic = Sri Lankan Tamil
credits = Member of Parliament

Sinnathamby Sivamaharajah (died August 20, 2006) was the managing director of Namathu Eelanadu, a Tamil-language newspaper, in Jaffna ,he was also a former Member of Parliament for the Tamil United Liberation Front, and a member of the pro LTTE Tamil National Alliance in the Sri Lankan Parliament. [ [http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/5271062.stm BBC Former Tamil MP killed in Jaffna] ] He has also served as the President of the Consortium of Valikamam North Public Organizations. [ [http://www.lankanewspapers.com/news/2006/8/8221.html Pro-LTTE media person killed in Jaffna] ]

Background

Sinnathamby Sivamaharajah founded the Namathu Eelanadu in 2002 which had a special focus on the Jaffna peninsula and its news coverage was seen as pro-Tamil nationalist and the Sri Lankan army had carried out a raid on the newspaper office in December 2005.He also campaigned against the displacement of Tamils in Jaffna due to the High security zones. [ [http://www.sibernews.com/news/sri-lanka/-200608215122/ Sivamaharajah assassinated] ] [ [http://us.oneworld.net/external/?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.rsf.org%2Farticle.php3%3Fid_article%3D21932 Editor Murdered] ] His killing is part of series of killing,abduction and attacks on the Tamil Media in Sri Lanka [ [http://www.asiamedia.ucla.edu/article.asp?parentid=52740 Tamil media caught in ongoing conflict] ] [ [http://www.lankaeverything.com/vinews/srilanka/20060904014736.php Intimidation of Tamil media.] ] [ [http://www.wan-press.org/print.php3?id_article=12552 Press Freedom, World Review, June - November 2006] ] He had earlier received death threats and accused of being an LTTE agent. [ [http://www.newssafety.com/hotspots/countries/srilanka/bbc/srilanka150207.htm Sri Lanka: Jaffna journalists protest "targeting" by paramilitaries ] .]

Incident

He was shot dead inside his house which was 300 metres inside the High Security Zone of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Tellippalai in Jaffna on August 20 2006. [ [http://www.internationalpen.org.uk/index.php?pid=33&aid=522&type=current Sinnathamby Sivamaharajah 2005] ]

Reaction

The UNESCO condemned the killing.Bquote|"I condemn the murder of Sinnathamby Sivamaharajah", the UNESCO Director-General declared. Bquote|“I am very concerned about the targeting of journalists and media workers in the conflict in Sri Lanka and must remind all parties that the killing of journalists will not help them achieve their end [ [http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=22702&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html Director-General condemns murder of Sri Lankan newspaper managing director Sinnathamby Sivamaharajah: UNESCO-CI ] ] [ [http://portal.unesco.org/ci/en/ev.php-URL_ID=22704&URL_DO=DO_TOPIC&URL_SECTION=201.html UNESCO ] ]

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]