Brutality on the press during "civil war" in Lanka: Lasantha Wickrematunga's death

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Sri Lanka, has been in the midst of a civil war between bloodthirsty ethnic chaunivists - one adopting state militarism (the government) and the other a confirmed separatist terrorist force (the LTTE). The latter is facing defeat, and increasingly the naked face of the majoritarian state is coming to the fore as it gloats its impending victory and unleashes its atrocities on the press, the dissenters and the minorities (as usual).

One of those who was killed recently was a fearless editor named, Lasantha Wickramatunga, who took it to himself to be fearlessly anti-establishmentarian and to call a spade a spade. The Sunday Leader, which he edited, published this posthumous editorial, more or less implicating Mahinda Rajapaksa's regime in his murder.

Pragoti condoles the death of Lasantha Wickramatunga and presents three articles: a) A poignant editorial by Wickramatunga's newspaper, written "posthumously" by him, b) A commentary on press freedom (or the lack of it) in Sri Lanka, by Sukumar Muralidharan and c) An obituary of Wickramatunga by Sri Lankan journalist DBS Jeyaraj.

Sri Lanka, has been in the midst of a civil war between bloodthirsty ethnic chaunivists - one adopting state militarism (the government) and the other a confirmed separatist terrorist force (the LTTE). The latter is facing defeat, and increasingly the naked face of the majoritarian state is coming to the fore as it gloats its impending victory and unleashes its atrocities on the press, the dissenters and the minorities (as usual).

One of those who was killed recently was a fearless editor named, Lasantha Wickramatunga, who took it to himself to be fearlessly anti-establishmentarian and to call a spade a spade. The Sunday Leader, which he edited, published this posthumous editorial, more or less implicating Mahinda Rajapaksa's regime in his murder.

Pragoti condoles the death of Lasantha Wickramatunga and presents three articles: a) A poignant editorial by Wickramatunga's newspaper, written "posthumously" by him, b) A commentary on press freedom (or the lack of it) in Sri Lanka, by Sukumar Muralidharan and c) An obituary of Wickramatunga by Sri Lankan journalist DBS Jeyaraj.

And Then They Came For Me

An editorial by Lasantha,published posthumously in "The Sunday Leader".

Impunity and Legal Cases -- A fragment from a report on press freedom in Sri Lanka

Impunity continues to be the norm where attacks on journalists in Sri Lanka are concerned. Since the murder of Dharmaratnam Sivaram “Taraki” in April 2005, there have been at least 14 other cases of journalists and media workers reported murdered,writes Sukumar Muralidharan.

Lasantha: Fearless Editor Who Spoke Truth to Power

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Lasantha Manilal Wickrematunge was brutally assassinated in broad daylight on a public road. He was murdered on January 8 by cowardly minions for courageously speaking truth to power. Refusing to be silenced by the powers that be, the fearless editor of “The Sunday Leader” fought valiantly against overwhelming odds to expose corruption, nepotism, misgovernance, racism and militaristic triumphalism,writes DBS Jeyaraj.

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