Reporters under threat for accurate reporting?

Demonstrating for the Disappeared by the Socialist Party

By N. Lohathayalan

Reporter T. Sobithan of the Virakesary has been asked by the CID to report to the Fourth Floor. What was his offence?

In the Virakesary of 21 August, he had reported a speech by one Mariya Suresh Easwari, the Head of the Society for Those Disappeared. She has stated that, as in the past, Douglas Devananda and Varathrajaperumal have joined Gotabaya Rajapaksa again and planning to harm Tamils. This reporter verified that Sobithan had reported Easwari’s exact words.

Varatharajaperumal confirmed that he is backing Gotabaya Rajapaksa, but said that it is not by joining Douglas Devananda whose support for Rajapaksa is independent from his own. He asserted that he did not file a police report.  

Former Jaffna University Vice Chancellor and TNA Nominee on the Delimitation Committee for Local Government Prof. P. Balasundarampillai has also openly expressed his support for Gotabaya Rajapaksa.

In the north, principal political activity is over the disappearances and shock at the courts seemingly protecting the armed forces responsible. The Socialist Party held a demonstration on 26 Sept. across the CTB Bus Stand in Jaffna protesting this issue.

When Sajith Premadasa was appointed UNP candidate on 26 Sept., crackers were lit in the Jaffna town with some supporters in Kilinochchi boiling rice for Pukkai on A9.

In the meantime, Sobithan is recovering in Jaffna from a bad motorbike accident where his heel was removed, wondering how he would keep his appointment on the Fourth Floor on 4 October. Rights workers ask whether reporting speeches accurately is a crime if it offends anyon