MISSING FOR 500 DAYS: PROTESTERS SEEK FATE OF SRI LANKAN JOURNALIST

Photo courtesy: vikalpa.org

By Krishan Francis | Associated Press
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Activists and relatives Wednesday demanded Sri Lanka's government disclose what happened to a dissident journalist and scores of civilians allegedly abducted by pro-government agents in the final years of the country's civil war.

Dozens of protesters carried placards and shouted slogans accusing the government of abducting columnist Prageeth Ekneligoda and others.

Ekneligoda was a writer and cartoonist for LankaeNews.com website and his articles were critical of the government's alleged human rights violations during the 26-year civil war.

"500 days since Prageeth's abduction," read some banners carried by protesters. "(the government) has broken the backbone of press freedom," they shouted.

"Give our children back," read some placards carried by relatives of missing civilians.



Ekneligoda's wife Sandya wrote to U.N. earlier this year seeking the world body's help to trace her husband saying she believed the government was complicit in the crime. The U.N. has said its office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights and UNESCO, the educational and cultural arm of the U.N., are looking into it.

The Sri Lankan government has repeatedly denied abducting journalists or civilians.

Scores of ethnic Tamil civilians were taken away during the final years before the war ended in 2009, ostensibly as part of a search for Tamil Tiger rebels, but never returned.



During the civil war, media rights groups rated Sri Lanka to be among the most dangerous places for journalists. Amnesty International said at least 14 Sri Lankan media workers were killed since 2006, and no arrests have been made in their killings.

Sri Lanka is also under pressure to investigate alleged human rights violations and heavy civilian casualties during the final days of the war. A U.N.-appointed experts panel has called for investigations into alleged atrocities committed by both sides and said the civilian deaths may be in tens of thousands.

© AP

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