Journalists in Sri Lanka under threat

The International Herald Tribune reports on the increasing threats to the journalists working in Sri Lanka.

At least 100 reporters have been attacked, 25 journalists have fled the country and several others have gone underground, said [Sunanda] Deshapriya of the Free Media Movement… Iqbal Athas, a high-profile defense columnist for the Sunday Times who is routinely threatened, said this was the “worst period” in his 42-year career. link

This follows on from a statement earlier this month by the Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence calling journalists cowboy defence analysts. A TV journalist, and his associate, working for Maharaja Television were killed in the northern Navanthurai area of Sri Lanka in May, 2008. In Novemeber, 2007 Jacqueline Park, Director, Asia-Pacific, International Federation of Journalists warned that journalists working outside the capital Colombo were at great risk from all sides of the conflict.