Mylvaganam Nimalrajan
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Mylvaganam Nimalrajan, also spelt Mylvaganam Nimalarajan was a senior Jaffna based journalist who was shot dead by gunmen in the Sri Lanka Army's high security zone on October 19, 2000
| Human Rights in Sri Lanka
Assasinations of Journalists |
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| Aiyathurai Nadesan-Balanadarajah Iyer-K.S.Raja-Mylvaganam Nimalrajan-Richard De Soyza-Thevis Guruge-Taraki Sivaram-Relangi Selvarajah-Nadarajah Atputharajah-I.Shanmugalingam-Subramaniyam Sugirdharajan–Sinnathamby Sivamaharajah |
Contents |
[edit] Biography
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[edit] Career in Journalism
As a journalist based in the war torn northern Jaffna peninsula during the late 1980s and early 1990s, he reported for various news organizations, including the BBC's Tamil- and Sinhala-language services, Tamil language Virakesari newspaper and Sinhala language Ravaya newspaper as a freelancer. Nimalarajan was one of the few sources of independent news from Jaffna, a strife-torn area where journalists have rarely been allowed free access during the time he reported.
[edit] The attack
The assailants shot the journalist through the window of his study, where he was working on an article, and threw a grenade into the home before fleeing the premises. The attack occurred during curfew hours in a high-security zone in central Jaffna town. His father Sangarapillai Mylvaganam, 65, his mother, Lilly Mylvaganam, 62, and his nephew, Jegathas Prasanna, 11, were seriously wounded by a grenade lobbed by the gunmen.
| Allegations of State terrorism in Sri Lanka
Civilian Massacres |
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| Akkaraipattu-Allaipiddy-Black July-Batticaloa 1990-Chencholai orphanage-Eastern University-Mannar 1984-Mannar 2006-Mylanthanai-Jaffna hospital- Jaffna lagoon-Jaffna library-Valvettiturai 1989-Iruthayapuram-Kokkadicholai-Kumarapuram-Kumudini boat-Nachikuda-Prison massacres-Tampalakamam - Trincomalee 2006-Nagerkovil school-Navaly church-Naguleswaram temple-Nelliady-Vaharai Rapes and Murders Krishanti Kumaraswamy-Ilayathambi Tharsini-Saradambal Sarma-Mary Madeleine Martin-Arumaithurai Tharmaletchumi |
[edit] Why he was killed
According to Committee to Protect Journalists, it suspected that Nimalarajan's reporting on vote-rigging and intimidation during the 2000 parliamentary elections in Jaffna led to his murder.
Most believe that he was murdered for his exposure of state repression in the Jaffna peninsula. He was one of the journalists who first wrote about Chemmani mass graves on the outskirts of Jaffna town where about 600 disappeared minority Tamil youth were killed and buried by the armed forces in the mid-1990s.
[edit] Who killed him
One of the Tamil parties, the Tamil United Liberation Front, issued a statement indicating that it suspects the EPDP, a government aligned political and military group of carrying out the murder. A TULF spokesperson said the immediate reason was that Nimalarajan had written about ballot rigging in the Kayts islands, one of the EPDP's strongholds, and in Jaffna town. The EPDP has denied any involvement, saying that the TULF's statement was a baseless allegation.
The Student Association of Jaffna University issued a leaflet headlined Is this the Rehabilitation in Jaffna? directly accusing the EPDP. The party which got the ministry of Rehabilitation (North) has rewarded the people with a murder, it stated. Nimalarajan was murdered to cover up the genocide of Tamils by the Sri Lankan Army and the perpetuation of the group's anarchic rule.
Following the October 10 election, Nimalarajan reportedly told colleagues that he had earned the wrath of the EPDP, which held him at least partly responsible for its failure to win more votes in Jaffna. He said that he was worried about his safety after receiving several threats.
The journalist lived in a high security zone making it difficult for his killers to get to his home and leave without being detected. The area is tightly controlled by military checkpoints and a special umbrella security system. Moreover, the murder took place during curfew hours.
[edit] Government response and results of investigation
The then government immediately a lunched an investigation. Six months later an EPDP cadre confessed to the murder but five year on still no progress has been reported on this murder.
