Journalists, media organisations, and civil society activists gathered in Batticaloa on Saturday evening to commemorate the 21st anniversary of the assassination of prominent Tamil journalist Aiyathurai Nadesan, renewing calls for justice and accountability.
The memorial event was held near the monument dedicated to slain journalists in Batticaloa town and was accompanied by a protest demanding justice for Nadesan and other murdered media workers in Sri Lanka. The event was jointly organised by the Eastern Journalists’ Union, the Batticaloa Media Forum, and several media collectives.
Proceedings began with the garlanding of Nadesan’s portrait, the lighting of a memorial flame, and the laying of floral tributes in his honour.
Among those in attendance were members of the Eastern Journalists’ Union, the Batticaloa Media Forum, the Trincomalee District Journalists’ Association, the Sri Lanka Media Professionals’ Association, and the Sri Lanka Working Journalists’ Association. Also present were local politicians and representatives from various non-governmental organisations.
Aiyathurai Nadesan, affectionately known as ‘Nellai Nadesan’, was a veteran journalist rooted in Batticaloa, and served as a correspondent for several prominent media outlets including Veerakesari, Shakthi FM, and IBC Tamil. On 31 May 2004, he was shot dead in Batticaloa while on his way to work, reportedly by a Sri Lankan-government backed paramilitary group.
In the lead-up to his murder, Nadesan had been subjected to repeated threats and harassment from the Sri Lankan military. On 7 June 2001, he was summoned for an inquiry by the army and sternly warned to cease reporting on human rights abuses.
Despite the passage of more than two decades, no one has been held accountable for Nadesan’s murder. His killing is one among many cases in Sri Lanka where Tamil journalists have been targeted with impunity, particularly for reporting on military abuses and the situation in the North-East.
