PRESS RELEASE

22 July 2009

Sri Lanka: Thirty-four journalists & media workers killed during present government rule

Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS) express its serious concern that even after government'sdeclaration of war victory and end of war, intimidations and harassments to media and journalists continuewith increasing ferocity. People of Sri Lanka are deprived of their right to information and media and journalists are forced to practice unprecedented level of self censorship.It is in this context JDS reports with anger and great sadness that thirty-three journalists and media workershave been killed with no recourse to justice since the present government was formed. Out of 34 killed threewere Sinhala journalists, one Muslim and 30 were from the minority Tamil community. A complete list of all journalists is attached herewith. In addition, 10 journalists and media workers were abducted. JournalistJeyaprakash Tissainayagam, his printer Vetrivel Jesiharan and Jesiharan’s wife Vadivel Valarmathi remain incustody since their arrest over a year ago. These unresolved killings and abductions clearly demonstrate theculture of impunity that prevails in Sri Lanka.The United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) government came into power in April 2004 with the presentPresident Mahinda Rajapaksa as its prime minister. Never before in the history of Sri Lanka have such anumber of journalists and media workers been killed in such a short period of time.During the same period, intimidations and threats against journalists and media increased unabated. Thissituation resulted in more than 50 journalists leaving Sri Lanka fearing persecution: Austria 01; Australia 03;Canada 03; Denmark 01; France 12; Germany 04; India 05; Malaysia 01; Netherlands 02; Nepal 02; Norway02; Switzerland 16; UK 10; USA 02.JDS supports the eleven point plan put forward by International Press Freedom Mission to redress the perilouspress freedom environment in Sri Lanka and pledges to work with all democratic forces within and outside thecountry to achieve human and democratic rights for all peoples in Sri Lanka.JDS calls upon the United Nations, governments and other international organisations to put pressure on thegovernment of President Rajapaksha by taking all practical means at their disposal

to end the culture of impunity and to bring the perpetrators of these crimes to justice.Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka (JDS) is an action group of journalists, writers, artists and humanrights defenders who fled persecution in their country and convened in Europe in order to campaign fordemocracy, human rights and media freedom in Sri Lanka.

Executive Committee Journalists for Democracy in Sri Lanka

C/O INSD, Kremmener Strasse 2, 10435 Berlin, Germany / journalistsfordemocracy@gmail.com