Press protests over intimidation
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
More than 200 journalists and human rights activists demonstrated in Colombo this noon against threats to the press and protested over last week's assault on Sunday Times defence writer Iqbal Athas by unidentified gunmen.
However, there were few slogans specifically accusing the government or the security forces for the threat faced by Iqbal Athas. The demonstration was largely a success said one of the organisers. Several journalists from foreign news agencies did not turn up as they had been taken by the government on a guided tour of the forward areas of Operation Jayasikurui in the Vanni this morning. Some sources speculated that the government arranged the visit to the war front today to prevent the foreign press from taking part in the demonstration at Lipton Circus near downtown Colombo today.
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