Armed Sri Lankan soldiers questioned a Tamil journalist and intimidated locals as they gathered to mark 11 years since the massacres of thousands of Tamil civilians in Mullivaikkal this week.
Hindu priests alongside the locals from Batticaloa came together on March 8, to carry out religious rituals at Mullivaikkal beach. Tens of thousands of Tamil civilians were killed by Sri Lankan military shelling on the beach more than a decade ago.
However, soon after rituals began, armed Sri Lankan soldiers arrived at the scene. The troops questioned Tamil journalist and Mullaitivu correspondent for the Tamil Guardian Kanapathipillai Kumanan, before taking down his personal details.
The incident follows previous harassment that Kumanan faced at the hands of Sri Lankan security forces, which has highlighted by the US State Department.
The US State Department’s 2019 Country Report on Human Rights Practices in Sri Lanka noted that Kumanan “was physically assaulted and verbally abused by the officer in charge of the Kokkilai police station".
“According to RSF, the May 27 violence against the reporter was the third reported attack on a journalist of Tamil origin during the year,” it added.
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