Uthayan staff
ask for security
Managing Director of the Uthayan group of newspapers
E. Saravanapavan has requested for more security in view of a threat
to his life, his family as well members of his staff.
The Uthayan newspaper office was attacked by unknown persons last
month leaving two of its employees dead.
Mr. Sarvanapavan has written to Amnesty International requesting
it to exert necessary pressure through the international community
on the Government to genuinely create the environment for media
freedom which will include reining in those directly responsible
for the violence and provide 24 hour security to him, his staff
and his offices. Uthayan Publications (Pvt) Ltd publishes two dailies
– the Uthayan in Jaffna and Sudar Oli in Colombo.
Mr.Sarvanapavan said that most of his employees numbering around
200 on both publications are reluctant to report to work without
an assurance of security. Even those who report to work do so in
an environment of fear which is not conducive for productive work,
he said.
The security should be provided on a continuous basis until the
climate of fear and intimidation ceases to exist, Mr.Saravanapavan
said in the letter.
“The Free Media Movement and all major electronic and print
media organizations demonstrated and strongly opposed the recent
attack on the Uthayana office and this was widely acknowledged to
be an attack on media freedom and the muzzling of an independent
news media,” the Managing Director said in the letter.
He said, as a responsible media, they were duty bound to inform
the public, especially in the context where influential sections
of the media, both state and private, do not objectively reflect
the ground realties pertaining to the conflict, particularly the
grievances and aspirations of the Tamils.
|
News
