(Photograph courtesy of @Kavinthans)
The Kilinochchi Media Forum held a memorial for 26 year old journalist Pragas Gnanapragasam who died earlier this week after contracting coronavirus.
Pragas, was an independent journalist writing for magazines and newspapers in the North-East. He also contributed to the Tamil Guardian, as a correspondent based in the North-East, sending updates from the Tamil homeland.
Although Pragas was a muscular dystrophy patient, he was reportedly told by officials that he was not yet eligible to be vaccinated.
Earlier this year, Pragas highlighted that vaccinations had not been prioritised for muscular dystrophy patients despite being disproportionately vulnerable to coronavirus.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
