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Sri Lanka: One Island Two Nations
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Sunday, April 21, 2019
Tamil Guardian Mullaitivu correspondent arrested and charged
20 April 2019
A Tamil Guardian correspondent was arrested on Saturday morning by
police following a complaint filed by the Sri Lankan navy, before later
being released on bail.
Shanmugam Thavaseelan, a prominent Mullaitivu-based journalist was
arrested on Saturday morning after being questioned by Mullaitivu police
on Friday.
He was later released on bail, pending further trial on April 30.
The reason given for the arrest was for assaulting and causing injury to
the complainant - a Sri Lanka navy officer from the ‘Gotabaya’ camp in
Mullaitivu who had been threatening and photographing protesters at a
disappearances rally earlier this month.
The journalist's lawyers argued that the allegations leading to his
arrest were fabricated and part of a targeted campaign of harassment and
intimidation.
The arrest recepit, which lays out the charges, Thavaseelan.
A confrontation had occurred at the rally earlier this month when the
individual, a Sri Lankan navy officer, was spotted taking photographs of
protestors and asked to identify himself. He was prevented from
escaping by the crowds at the rally and identified himself as a navy
officer. Thavaseelan had been present at the rally and had questioned
the navy officer on behalf of the protesters.
Mullaitivu police were called to the scene, but after they did not turn
up, the crowds escorted the officer to the nearby Gotabhaya navy camp
and asked personnel there to confirm his identity.
File photo: Thavaseelan
Thavaseelan had stated earlier this week that the police complaint,
which the journalist maintained was based on false allegations, was
likely an act of revenge from the officer.
The same journalist has been subject to consistent threats and
harassment in recent years. Last year Thavaseelan was temporarily
detained and threatened by army officers while investigating an army
land grab of a destroyed LTTE cemetery in Alampil. He had been detained
for refusing to hand over his camera. The Sri Lankan army had been
forced to admit and attempt to downplay the incident after being
questioned by the Sri Lankan Human Rights Commission.
Thavaseelan’s local media colleagues said that journalists still worked
under a climate of fear, stating that military forces with the backing
of Mullaitivu police were extremely vindictive in targeting journalists
and activists who exposed the realities of the district, especially
militarisation and Sinhalisation.
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