The Uthayan newspaper marked the 8th anniversary of a deadly attack on its premises, which left two people dead.

Army-backed paramilitaries attacked the offices of the paper on the 2nd of May, 2006, with subsequent protests against the violence bringing Jaffna to a standstill.

TNA MP Maavai Senathirajah, Northern Provincial Councillors P. Kajatheepan and E.Arnold, Valikamam North Regional Council chairman S.Sukirthan, Nalloor cooperative leader P.Kanakasabaabathi and Uthayan employees attended the event in the offices of the paper.

See below for extracts of Tamil Guardian’s coverage of the event in 2006.

A gang of five men armed with automatic rifles entered the Uthayan office and began firing. Marketing manager Bastian George Sagayathas, 36, also known as Suresh, was the first killed.

The gunmen then moved to the circulation section and, while firing, ordered workers to lie down and not to raise their heads. S. Uthayakumar, 48, was injured during the shooting.

Circulation supervisor S. Ranjith, 25, was killed when he raised his head to see what was happening to Uthayakumar. He was held down and shot dead.

Another staff member was forced at gunpoint to lead the gang to the editorial area to find the sub-editor, but the rest of the staff had fled. After raking the computers with gunfire, the attackers fled on motorbikes. The two injured – Uthayakumar and another employee N. Thayakaran, 24 – were rushed to Jaffna Hospital with wounds.

Eyewitnesses identified one of the attackers, dressed in black civil clothes, as an EPDP paramilitary cadre.

“The reason for the attack may have been a cartoon that the newspaper published on Monday [May 1] of the leader of a rival group showing him prostrating himself before the president,” [Editor] Vithyatharan told colleagues.

The cartoon was of the leader of the EPDP, Douglas Devananda, who is minister for social services and social welfare in President Rajapakse’s government.

President Rajapakse condemned the attack, ordered an investigation and reportedly rang V. Saravanabavan, the owner of the Sudaroli newspaper group that publishes Uthayan.

According to Vithyatharan, Rajapakse, in his telephone conversation with Saravanabavan, denied any government involvement in the attack. Vithyatharan said: “His [Rajapakse’s] thinking was that the Tigers had done it ahead of his speech [on world press freedom day] to embarrass him. But we clearly told him that the government should bear the responsibility.”