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| Mr. Kuganathan, seriously injured in the attack carried out by two masked persons in a motorbike, has been admitted to intensive care unit of the Jaffna Hospital. |
While resolutely condemning the savage attack we demand the government to bring those responsible for the grave crime before the law immediately.
The government has not been able to arrest anyone responsible for the incident yet. Being able to flee after attacking a journalist in Jaffna where security is at a maximum level does mean the invisible hand of the government has been active. Hence, the government will not be able to evade allegations aimed at it for the attack. The people in the country as well as masses in the world would have their eyes open to see whether the government would be silent as in other instances when journalists were targeted for attacks or whether legal action would be taken against the wrongdoers of this attack. The attack on Mr. Kuganathan is not the first attack targeting journalists and media institutions in Jaffna. There were several instances of journalists being assassinated, abducted, assaulted, threatened and setting fire to media institutions but the government did not take any measures to hold any effective investigation regarding any of them. Hence, it is the responsibility of all to force the government so that it would have to take action regarding the incident.
Mr. Kuganathan was subjected to the savage attack even before a week had gone by after the government held the local government elections in the North and boasted that there was democracy there. This vividly indicates the caliber of the so-called democracy of the government.
The masses in the North who were the direct victims of the thirty year old war and were denied democracy should be given more opportunities to express their views. They should be given their right of speech. They should be allowed to share their sufferings and experiences of thirty years freely with other fraternal nationalities. This is crucial for creating national unity. Hence, they should be given more freedom of press. Mr. Kuganathan was subjected to the savage attack at such a time.
It should be also pointed out that the government including the President by such attacks makes room for more and more international interferences in the internal affairs of our country. India and imperialists led by the USA are waiting for such an incident to poke their hands in our affairs. The government is paving a path for such interferences. Also, these attacks would again push the youth in the North for political practices that reject democracy. This is a very serious matter.
The attack on the editor of ‘Udayan’ newspaper is not only an issue regarding media freedom. It is an issue regarding national unity; an issue regarding the right to live freely; an issue regarding the freedom of expression. It is also an issue regarding democracy. Hence, we call upon the whole Nation to rise up against this savage attack and rally for media freedom, democracy and national unity.
Political Bureau, Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna.
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