(31 March 2020./TG)
A Tamil journalist in Kilinochchi was attacked by a group of unknown persons at his office yesterday, even as Sri Lanka’s security forces patrolled the streets and enforced a curfew in the midst of the coronavirus outbreak.
Nadarasalingam Thusanth was at his office when a group of unman persons burst in began to attack him with swords.
The attack is the latest incident, in what has been a worrying rise in intimidation and threats against Tamil journalists and human rights defenders. The Sri Lankan security forces have reportedly been involved in the intimidation, and have a deadly record of murdering those that speak out against rights abuses.
It comes even though Sri Lankan security forces enacted a curfew across the island, with the police warning that those found to have broken curfew would be detained. More than 500 people have been arrested in the last 24 hours, and more than 7,000 in total as the curfew was enforced.