Independent East Media Forum, a Tamil media group in the East, condemned the attack on Tamil journalist Manikapody Sasikumar, the correspondent of Thinakkural paper in Batticaloa by a group of unidentified persons. The attack cannot be considered as an act against an individual but on the whole media community in the district. The law enforcement authority should bring the culprits behind the attack to courts, the IEMF further said in its statement. Meanwhile, Batticaloa District Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian P.Ariyanethran also condemned the attack on Mr. Sasikumar.
Sasikumar was attacked by an unidentified three member team Sunday night around 7:35. He is a native of Kannangkudaa of Paduvaankarai. The attack was politically motivated, a journalist said adding that several journalists in Batticaloa were functioning under pressure.
The sources further said that another journalist representing Virakesari, a Tamil daily from Colombo, has also been threatened and intimidated.
The journalists expressed dissatisfaction that no other civil society movements in Batticaloa had come forward to condemn the recent attack on Mr. Sasikumar.
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