Journalists in South visit Jaffna

Kadirgamar Thamby

Jaffna: The group of journalist represent Sri Lanka Working Journalists Association, Sri Lanka Tamil Journalists Alliance, Independent Journalists Forum, Sri Lanka Muslim Media Forum and Media Employees Trade Union Federation was led by Manique Mendis, Head of Media and Communication Unit, Berghof Foundation for Conflict Studies. They hope to collect facts that dampen and hinder them in the execution of journalistic functions.

They were welcomed by North Sri Lanka Journalists' Association President S. Kathiragamathamby at the Medium Resource Training Centre (MRTC). Manique Mendis presided. North Sri Lanka Journalists Association President appraised the visiting journalists of the repeated attacks on Jaffna journalists by the police and the army.

He showed them in person the Lake House journalist who had been the butt-end of the attack by the forces twice in the demonstration by the public against the forces in Jaffna and revealed the Army attack on him even after showing his Press Identity Card.

He said his camera had been damaged twice in the Army public confrontations. Association Secretary Dayaparan forwarded three demands for their consideration and appeal to the President, Deputy Defence Minister and Media Minister.

The three demands were the guarantee of personal safety of journalists, dissemination of information to the Press without interference and intimidation and the publication of news withour fear of reprisals. The Jaffna journalists urged their counterparts to take the necessary action to compensate the journalists who lost their cameras and hand phones.

Sri Lanka Working Journalists' Association's General Secretary Poddala Jayantha said he will make arrangements for a meeting of the representatives of the Northern journalists with the Deputy Defence Minister and the Media Minister to forward their grievanes and hardships.

They later met the Jaffna Civil Society representatives Jaffna NGOs Consortium President Paramanathan said the media alone could defuse the ethic tension in the island and urged them to play a non partisan role in their discharging duty.