DURING the past year, ninety-six journalists in 32 countries paid with their lives for exercising their profession, according to the 2008 Press Emblem Campaign (PEC) report. This figure is lower than the record 115 journalists killed last year, but this drop of 17.5% is due solely to an improvement in security in Iraq.

On average, nearly two journalists were killed every week in the course of the last three years (96 in 2006; 115 in 2007; 95 in 2008). Many others were injured, kidnapped, threatened, imprisoned or unable to express themselves freely (notably in Burma, China, Zimbabwe and Eritrea).

Ms Hedayat Abdel Nabi, president of the PEC points out , “The security of media persons has become an overall problem.Sixty years after the adoption of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, the violations of press freedom are widespread in several regions of the world.”

Three journalists lost their lives including Wickramatunga, editor-in-chief of the weekly Sunday Leader, was a prominent senior Sri Lankan journalist known for his critical reporting on the government. It is clear those who refuse to compromise and have the courage to speak truth the powerful risk their lives.

Journalists were killed in unusually high numbers in 2007, making it the deadliest year for the press in more than a decade.

There are many journalists who are held illegally for long time by many governments.

Journalist J.S. Tissainayagam is escorted after appearing at a magistrate's court in Colombo.
Sri Lankan, President Mahinda Rajapakse should order prosecutors to drop all charges against journalists held on politically motivated charges, Human Rights Watch said in a letter to the president. J.S. Tissainayagam, a journalist, and N. Jashiharan, a publisher, and his wife, V. Valamathy, have been in detention since March 2008.

The letter identified serious violations of due process and the right to a fair trial by the authorities in Tissainayagam's case.

"Tissainayagam's arrest was politically motivated and his detention has involved a litany of due process violations," said Brad Adams, Asia director at Human Rights Watch. "The prosecution of journalists only reinforces the impression that the government has embarked on a systematic campaign to smother free media."

In recent months, media freedom in Sri Lanka has come under serious assault, including the recent killing of Wickremetunga and an attack on the offices of Maharaja Television in Colombo.
According to Tamil Creative Writers Association, Canada 19 journalists and writers have been killed in Sri Lanka between 2000-2007.

(1) On 19th October 2000, Mylvaganam Nimalarajan, 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.

(2) On 31 May 2004, Mr. Aiyathurai Nadesan was shot dead by unidentified gunmen on a motorbike, while traveling on a motorcycle himself. The Batticaloa police launched an investigation into the killing. However, no suspect has ever been taken to court. Mr. Nadesan (48) was a renowned journalist who was very critical of the Sri Lanka Army and paramilitary groups in his widely read political column in the Sunday edition of the Virakesari.

(3) On April 29, 2005 Darmaratnam Sivaram (47), male, editorial board member of TamilNet / around 10:30pm/ abducted by 4 men in a white van in front of the Bambalapitya police station in Colombo, later his body was found near the parliamentary complex with in a high security zone.

(4) On 29 July, 2005. Arasakumar Kannamuthu (38), male, a newspaper delivery agent for the Batticaloa Eelanatham newspaper shot and killed by unidentified gunmen at Matupola in Kalmunai-Akkaraipattu Road, 50 kilometers south of Batticaloa.

(5) On August 12, 2005 Tamil broadcaster Relangi Selvarajah and her husband, a political activist, were killed by unidentified gunmen in Colombo on the same day that Lakshman Kadirgamar, Sri Lanka's foreign minister, was assassinated.

(6) On August 29, 2005. David Selvaratnam (50), a security guard, Manickam Kamalanathan (49), a proof-reader, Subramaniyam Suthas (29), a computer operator, A.M.F Anas, a visiting employee, all are male / around 6:15pm. / severely injured by unidentified attackers throwing two grenades into the printing office of Tamil-language daily Sudar Oli, Madampitiya Road at Grandpass in Colombo.

(7) On September 30, 2005 Yogakumar Krishnapillai (38), male, a distributor of the Batticaloa-Eelanatham newspaper / around 7:30am / shot and killed by two unidentified gunmen in Batticaloa.

(8) On 24 January, 2006 35-year old Subramaniam Sugirtharajan, a father of two and a correspondent for "Sudar Oli," a Tamil-language was shot and killed at his residence located along the Lower Road facing the Trincomalee harbor in the suburb of Orr's Hill in Trincomalee He was waiting for transport to his workplace.

(9) On May 02, 2006. a gang of five men armed with T-56 automatic rifles entered the Uthayan office at about 7.25 p.m. and began firing. Marketing manager Bastian George Sagayathas, 36, also known as Suresh, was the first killed. Circulation supervisor S. Ranjith, 25, was killed when he raised his head to see what was happening to Uthayakumar. He was held down and shot dead.

(10) On May 03, 2006 Suresh Kumar and Ranjith Kumar were killed on May 3, as journalists gathered in Colombo to celebrate Press Freedom Day this year.

(11) On July 2, 2006 freelance journalist Sampath Lakmal de Silva was shot dead by an unknown group.

(12) On July 27, 2006 Mariathas Manojanraj, 23, a distributor of Yarl Thinakural and Veerakesari, was killed in a claymore explosion on Rasa Road, near Nilavarai Deep well on his way from Atchuvely to Jaffna. Manojanraj was riding a motorbike to collect Thursday issues of the papers from the Jaffna Thinakkural office for distribution in Atchuvely when the explosion occurred, sources said. The claymore mine was triggered by remote-control device and occurred in an isolated area in Navakeeri close to the Ellalan Community Center, sources said.

(13) On August 12, 2006 Relangi Selvarajah and her husband were shot dead by unknown gunmen in Bambalapitiya.

(14) On August 15, 2006 Sathasivam Baskaram Driver/Distributor Uthayan Newspaper in Jaffna was shot and killed.

(15) On August 21, 2006. Sinnathamby Sivamaharajah (68), male, managing director of Tamil-language daily "Namathu Eelanadu, chairman of the Multi-Purpose Co-opeative Society (MPCS) in Tellippalai, Jaffna, former member of parliament for the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF) / around 7:20pm/ shot and killed at temporary residence in Tellippalai, 14 kilometers northeast of Jaffna.

(16) On February 27, 2007 S. T. Gananathan (64), male, president of the Jaffna Multi Purpose Co-Operative Society / shot dead 200 meters from the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) camp at Mampalam junction in Ariyalai.

(17) On April 16, 2007 Subash Chandrabose, 32, editor of the Tamil monthly Nilam, was gunned down late Monday at his residence in Thirunavatkulam in Vavuniya, 260 kilometres north of Colombo, the rights group said. Chandrabose also freelanced for other publications including the London-based magazine Tamil World. The FMM, which consists of journalists and rights activists, said it was 'appalled by this killing.'

(18) On April 29, 2007 Selvarajah Rajivarman (25), male, journalist of Jaffna's 'Uthayan' newspaper / around 10am/ shot and killed by gunmen riding on a motorbike at Naavalar Road, Rasaavin Thoaddam junction in Jaffna.

(19) On August 01, 2007 Nilakshan Sahapavan, a 22-year-old student at the Jaffna University Media Research and Training Centre and the editor of Calare, was killed by unidentified gunmen.

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