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Government orders full-scale investigation into Journalist’s slaying

The Sri Lankan Government today condemned the abduction and killing of prominent journalist D. Sivaram. In a media communiqué, the information Department said, “the Government unreservedly condemns the reprehensible and dastardly abduction and killing of well known journalist, Mr. D Sivaram.”

The Government has ordered a full-scale investigation into the abduction and killing of Mr. Sivaram and law enforcement authorities will ensure speedy action in this regard. Mr. Sivaram's abduction and killing is the latest in a series of violent acts and political killings that have taken place while the Ceasefire Agreement has been operational. Most recently a Tamil Police Inspector, Mr. T Jeyaratnam, attached to the Terrorist Investigations Unit of the Mt. Lavinia Police was abducted in Colombo. Prior to that a Divisional Secretary was killed in the Eastern Province and a Tamil Government official, a Director attached to the Ministry of Vocational Training was gunned down while in Batticaloa on official duty.

Sivaram was targetted because of his uncompromising coverage of political and military situation- Reporters Without Borders

Bandula Jayasekara in Colombo, SLT 5.50 P.M Friday 29 April 2005. Reporters without Borders say journalist D. Sivaram, editor of Tamilnet and columnist of Daily Mirror was targeted because of uncompromising coverage of the political and military situation, particularly since the emergence of the pro-government Tamil militia headed by Colonel Karuna.Reporters Without Borders say they are revolted at the murder of Dharmeratnam Sivaram "Taraki", editor of the news website TamilNet and Daily Mirror columnist. Four men abducted the well known journalist on 28 April and he was found dead the following morning.

Issuing a statment condeming the killing of Sivaram, RSF say that Sivaram, 46, had often told friends that he feared for his safety. "My life is in serious danger," he told Reporters Without Borders in May 2004 after police raided his house and some pro-government media accused him of being a spy for the Tamil Tigers.

Reporters Without Borders said Sri Lanka's authorities were guilty of failing to combat impunity in past cases of murders of journalists. In several reports, it had shown that the government, headed by Chandrika Kumaratunga, has protected killers of journalists, particularly Tamil militia of the EPDP, elements in the presidential guard and members of Col. Karuna's Tamil militia.The organisation called on the government to now do everything possible to ensure the killers and those who sent them were identified, arrested and put on trial."The premeditated murder of one of the most renowned Tamil journalists is a huge loss for Sri Lanka's press. Through his website that was visited by tens of thousands of people daily, he provided essential news on the situation in the country," it said.

"Whatever one may think of his relations with the Tamil Tigers movement, Sivaram, was a brilliant journalist", the worldwide press freedom organisation added.