Tributes were paid across Canada, UK and Jaffna following the death of the mother of slain Tamil journalist Mylvaganam Nimalarajan, last Sunday.
80-year-old, Lily Theres Mylvaganam, who fought relentlessly seeking justice for her son, passed away in Canada, last Sunday (June 13th). Known as “Mother Courage”, she received tributes from Tamils and journalists across the world.
Photo credit: JDS Lanka
Her son, Nimalarajan was a senior journalist who contributed to the BBC Tamil and Sinhala services and Tamil daily news outlet Virakesari, was assassinated on October 19th 2000.
Lily Theres Mylvaganam and her family sought refuge in Canada due to security threats following son’s assassination. She was given a floral tribute by Jaffna Media centre on Thursday, on the day she was buried.
She is succeeded by her husband, Sangarapillai Mylvaganam, who told Reporters Without Borders in 2018:
“This has been 10 years of suffering for our family. But my son’s memory is still alive. I would like people to remember him as a courageous journalist who served his community. The government could relaunch the investigation into my son’s murder if it wanted to. It is a question of political will. We want justice to be done.”
It is believed that Nimalarajan was killed for his reporting on vote-rigging and intimidation in Jaffna during the recent parliamentary elections. Whilst no group has claimed responsibility, it is believed that the government-aligned paramilitary group the EPDP is responsible.
Last month, the Attorney General Department informed the Jaffna High Court that it will no longer pursue the assassination case and that all the suspects were released.
