EDITORS WEBLOG SAYS IN LTTE CONTROLLED AREAS IF ONE OVERSTEPS STRICURES IMPOSED BY TIGERS IT MEANS DEATH

By Walter Jayawardhana

There is hardly any newspaper freedom in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled areas in Sri Lanka and over stepping the limits set by the rebel group could simply result in death said the editors web log, published by the World Editors Forum.

In their November 3 issue Editors Web Log said, Tamil Newspapers published in areas under the control of the LTTE or Tamil Tigers are subject to strictures and over stepping those limits could mean simply death.

“There is hardly any media freedom in,” said the report, “ the northern areas controlled by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) which is fighting for a separate state in the North-East of Sri Lanka. Tamil newspapers published in theses areas are subject to LTTE strictures and “over stepping the limits” could result in death.”

The report also wrote about the breakaway group of the LTTE, the Karuna faction: “Similarly newspapers published in areas under the control of the Karuna Faction in the East of the country cannot exceed its guidelines. Journalists who fail to abide by the "rules" do so at a risk to their lives (The Karuna Faction broke away from the LTTE in March 2004 and is now helping government forces in its battle against the LTTE).

“The "Thinakural”, “Udayan” and “Valamburi” newspapers published in Jaffna in the North, are privately owned but they cannot be critical of the LTTE .

“The “Thinakural” daily has a circulation of about 45,000 while its Sunday edition sells around 60,000 copies. The sale of “Thinakural” in the East was banned by the Karuna Faction in August this year. The “Udayan”, which is a daily newspaper has a circulation of about 20,000. “Valamburi”, sells about 10,000 copies.

“ ‘Namadinadu‘, which had a circulation of about 10,000 in Jaffna stopped publishing in August 2006, after its proprietor Siva Maharaja who was also a parliamentarian representing the Tamil United Liberation Front was gunned down allegedly by a paramilitary group.

“The pro LTTE newspaper "Elanadam" has a circulation of around 20,000 in the North and about 15,000 copies are sold in LTTE controlled areas of the East.

“The “Thinakadir”, which was published in Batticaloa in the East,closed down after its office was attacked allegedly by a paramilitary group about three years ago.

“The Pro LTTE newspaper “Sudoroli” which was published in the East was banned by the Karuna Faction also in August this year. It had a circulation of around 10,000.

“ ‘Thamiladi‘, a pro Karuna Faction newspaper commenced publication in the East about five months.

“On October 23, 2006, about 20,000 copies of a leading Colombo based Tamil Newspaper the “Virakesari”, was burnt allegedly by the Karuna Faction at Kiran in Batticaloa.

“There is greater media freedom in the South compared to the North and East, but abductions and killing of journalists for over stepping the “limits" by armed gunmen occur in the South as well.

“The debate goes on, as to who the suspects are , but the finger has been pointed at paramilitary groups and in some cases at southern operatives of both the LTTE and Karuna Faction.

“So it is in this atmosphere that both the southern and northern journalists strive to maintain contacts and exchange news and articles.”