Newspaper Society condemns attack on Jaffna’s Uthayan office

The Newspaper Society of Sri Lanka in a statement said it strongly condemns the arson attack on the office of the Uthayan Newspaper in Jaffna, during the early hours of 13 April, the eve of the Sinhala and Tamil New Year.

The Uthayan Office houses both the printing press of the newspaper as well as the editorial office.

This is the third attack that brings on Uthayan, its official and personnel in the past four months this year.

Reports from Jaffna indicate that there were three intruders with guns and at least two shots were fired into the air.

Thereafter, the intruders proceeded to set fire to the news print, machine rollers and panel board effectively stopping the functioning of the printing machine.

The Newspaper Society’s concern is the attack on a media office thereby impinging on media freedom, the corner stone of democracy.

The authorities have not carried out any meaningful investigation on previous attacks on Uthayan, or for that matter on other institutions which have been attacked.

 This has resulted in the non apprehension of the criminal elements that have caused death, injury and damage to media personnel and institutions.

Failure to do so can only reflect on the prevailing rule of law situation as also an attack on democracy itself.  

“We call upon the relevant authorities, especially the police to take steps swiftly and decisively in bringing the perpetrators to book. Failure to act can only give the international community another issue to raise against the Government,” the Newspaper Society of Sri Lanka said.