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Colombo, Iqbal Athas, a regular defense writer in The Sunday Times published in Colombo, stopped his defense column this week fearing his life as his security was removed by the authority and he was given police protection by the authorities after a series of threats by members of security forces angered by his exposure of arms deals. Mr. Athas exposed in his "Situation Report" The Sunday Times, a deal involving the purchase of Mig 27 fighter jets and was accused of creating a national security threat in doing so. "The Sunday Times regrets the Situation Report does not appear today in the light of serious constraints placed on the author, Consultant Editor and Defense Correspondent," the paper said. "He fears for his life and that of his family," it said, adding that Athas was being followed. Freedom of speech is one of humanities most treasured possessions. One must not attack the very foundation of democracy in the name fighting against terrorism, said another journalist. The FMM believe the removal of Athas's police protection, announced on August 16, to be retribution for his exposure of the deal. "The FMM expresses it serious concern at the continuing violence directed against journalists and the media in the country," the Free Media Movement (FMM) said in a statement lat week. The International Media Support (IMS) and Reporters Without Borders (RSF) both had joint fact-finding mission in last June regarding the worsening human rights situations for the journalists and media assistants, especially for the Tamil journalists and media assistants said in a report released Friday that "Murders, kidnappings, threats and censorship have made Jaffna one of the world's most dangerous places for journalists to work. At least seven media workers, including two journalists, have been killed there since May 2006." Not only Sri Lanka is among the worst place in the earth for journalist, Sri Lanka is among the most dangerous places on the earth for humanitarian workers as Sir John Holmes, United Nations Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Co-ordination, end of his short visit said it last week. The press release from The International Federation of Journalists (IFJ) which represents over 600,000 journalists in 114 countries, says, attacks against Sri Lankan journalists signal choking press freedom. So long as journalists continue to be subjected to fear and attacks on their personal security, Sri Lanka cannot be assured of a free press that is capable of serving the publication's fundamental right to know, IFJ Asia-Pacific Director Jacqueline Park said. The IFJ urges the authorities to step up protection for journalists suffering harassment. The seriously worsening situation in Sri Lanka for the journalists and journalism are continuing unabated in Sri Lanka with impunity especially for the Tamil journalist and making journalists to abandon their profession, according to another media rights group in Colombo. Free Media Movement (FMM) said, attacks, killings and abductions of media staff and journalists are on the increase, not a single investigation into attacked, abducted and murdered journalist has been carried out to completion by Sri Lanka's government. From last June to August 15, 2007 period, over 656 persons have been violently killed including scores of aid workers, according to the PEFERAL Organization in Sri Lanka which released statement in a press meeting in capital Colombo. Over 5, 200 people killed, over thousands were abducted without any trace and over 500, 000 internally displaced including id workers and journalists and media assistants within past 21 months, according to the rights group. Many international governments threatened Sri Lanka with possible economic, arms and ammunition sanction while many rights groups called for International Monitoring Mission to Sri Lanka citing lawlessness in the country and the human rights abuses against journalists and civilians according to media reports. |