posted October 24, 2000 06:05 PM            

TCHR urges to condemn the killing of Nimalrajan

[Paris, October 24/2000]

The Tamil Centre for Human Rights (TCHR) said in a statement that the cowardly and brutal murder of Mr. Nimalrajan in Jaffna last week, is yet an another cruel attempt to silence the voice of truth. The organization urges all individuals and organizations that believe in justice, human rights and who cherish freedom of expression and life it must condemn this brutal and callous assassination.

The full text of the statement as follows:

"On 19th October Mylvaganam Nimalrajan, aged 38, well-known journalist and father of three, was shot dead in his own home, through the window of his room, as he wrote a news report. He was the Jaffna correspondent for the Tamil daily Virakesari, the independent Tamil radio station, Sooriyan FM, the popular Sinhala political weekly, Ravaya, the Tamil and Sinhala services of the BBC. He was also the secretary of the Northern Journalists' Association.

"His father, Samgarapillai Mylvaganam, aged 65, his mother, Lilly Mylvaganam, 62, and his nephew Jegata Prasanna, 11, were also attacked when a grenade was thrown into the home. They remain in a critical condition in Jaffna hospital. Mr. Nimalrajan’s wife and daughters had a narrow escape as they were in another part of the property at the time.

"Days before his killing Mr. Nimalrajan had confided with colleagues that he had received death-threats. He had reported on the serious problems of the Tamil people displaced by the war, and the destruction of family life. He had also bravely reported on the vote rigging, intimidation and violence in the recent elections, carried out by a militant group active on the peninsula. The armed group, which has joined the political mainstream and contested parliamentary elections, helps the Sri Lankan government’s security forces in the peninsula. The human rights violations of the Sri Lankan security forces and the paramilitary groups' working with them is well known. Mr. Nimalarajan had written reports critical of the group.

"This group had reportedly been displeased with the sums of votes their political group, the EPDP had received. Mr. Nimalrajan was made aware that his honest reporting had angered them. The same organisation was suspected of carrying out a bomb attack on a Jaffna daily newspaper, Uthayan, in August 1999, which had also been critical of the EPDP. The EPDP is strongly amid widely suspected to have been behind the assassination of Mr. Nimalrajan.

"Shock waves spread through the world as Tamil organisations and media, and groups defending the rights of journalists based in Sri Lanka, New York and Vienna condemned the brutal assassination, expressing their outrage. The NewYork-based Committee to Protect Journalists stated that “Nimalrajan was one of the few sources of independent news from the Jaffna Peninsula where journalists are not allowed free access.” International media including AFP and BBC were quick to give voice to the distress of reporting rights groups.

"The Sri Lankan government operates a strict media blockade in Sri Lanka, preventing local and foreign journalists from reporting freely from the Tamil areas. This censorship has been condemned frequently by numerous international human rights organisations and over many years. The denial and repression of news is an ongoing blatant attempt to hide the truth and avoid the scrutiny and sustained outrage of the international community. Mr. Nimalrajan used his skills fearlessly to get the real version of the local news to a vast number of international media contacts. His selflessness and commitment to his professionals an independent journalist cost him his life.

"The cowardly and brutal murder of this respected and courageous journalist, is yet another cruel attempt to silence the voice of truth. All individuals and organisations that believe in justice, human rights and who cherish freedom of expression and life it must condemn this brutal and callous assassination.

"Please write/fax the President and the Inspector General of Police, condemning the killing of Mr. Nimalrajan and urging that a rigorous and immediate independent inquiry into his murder be made. TCHR urgent actions AE/02/01 (5 Jan 2000) and AE/03/02 (28 Feb 2000) called for an independent inquiry into the assassination of human rights defender, Mr. Kumar Ponnambalam, until today no serious steps have been taken in this direction."

ADDRESSES:

Her Excellency President Chandrika B Kumaratunga,
Presidential Residence,
Colombo 3,
Sri Lanka,
Fax: 94 - 1 - 333 - 703

Inspector General of Police,
Police Headquarters,
New Secretariat,
Colombo 1,
Sri Lanka.