By Sarah Hannan
The Mullaitivu Police on Thursday had summoned Tamil Guardian correspondent Shanmugam Thavaseelan for questioning over a confrontation that occurred between the journalist and a navy officer. It was later reported that on Saturday, Thavaseelan was arrested after appearing in courts for a formal hearing.
The Sunday Morning contacted Mullaitivu Police Acting OIC IP Ganganath for clarification, and was informed that Thavaseelan was arrested on charges of assault to the navy officer and was released on personal bail of Rs. 100,000.
The incident had taken place on 7 April when Thavaseelan was covering a protest stages by the Families of the Disappeared (FOD) on Vaddukkal Bridge. The navy officer had been documenting the protest through his smartphone. Upon noticing the navy officer who was in civilian clothing, the protestors and journalists had gone up to him to question as to why he was documenting the protest and who had sent him there.
Since the navy officer did not have any identification with him, they had later assaulted him and then taken him to the navy camp to confirm his identification.
“The navy officer, upon returning to the camp, came to our police station to lodge a complaint about it. We sent in a notice to Thavaseelan and another journalist to visit the police station on Thursday to record a statement. Only Thavaseelan turned up and after questioning him, we arrested him,” IP Ganganath informed.
The next court date is set for 30 April and in the meantime, the Police informed that they will take necessary action over the other journalist who was involved in the assault.
Meanwhile, Thavaseelan, in a social media post, had stated that the Police had summoned him over questioning the navy officer’s presence and specifically taking photographs of him during the protest.
He further noted that the navy officer was displaying an act of revenge by filing a complaint against his actions with the Police, following the confrontation, and that he and several other Tamil journalists from the area were constantly being targeted by the Navy in collaboration with the Police.
In 2018, Thavaseelan had filed a complaint at the Human Rights Commission in Sri Lanka over the consistent threats and a short-term detention and questioning he underwent while he was investigating the Army land-grab of a destroyed LTTE cemetery in Alampil.
The Mullaitivu Police on Thursday had summoned Tamil Guardian correspondent Shanmugam Thavaseelan for questioning over a confrontation that occurred between the journalist and a navy officer. It was later reported that on Saturday, Thavaseelan was arrested after appearing in courts for a formal hearing.
The Sunday Morning contacted Mullaitivu Police Acting OIC IP Ganganath for clarification, and was informed that Thavaseelan was arrested on charges of assault to the navy officer and was released on personal bail of Rs. 100,000.
The incident had taken place on 7 April when Thavaseelan was covering a protest stages by the Families of the Disappeared (FOD) on Vaddukkal Bridge. The navy officer had been documenting the protest through his smartphone. Upon noticing the navy officer who was in civilian clothing, the protestors and journalists had gone up to him to question as to why he was documenting the protest and who had sent him there.
Since the navy officer did not have any identification with him, they had later assaulted him and then taken him to the navy camp to confirm his identification.
“The navy officer, upon returning to the camp, came to our police station to lodge a complaint about it. We sent in a notice to Thavaseelan and another journalist to visit the police station on Thursday to record a statement. Only Thavaseelan turned up and after questioning him, we arrested him,” IP Ganganath informed.
The next court date is set for 30 April and in the meantime, the Police informed that they will take necessary action over the other journalist who was involved in the assault.
Meanwhile, Thavaseelan, in a social media post, had stated that the Police had summoned him over questioning the navy officer’s presence and specifically taking photographs of him during the protest.
He further noted that the navy officer was displaying an act of revenge by filing a complaint against his actions with the Police, following the confrontation, and that he and several other Tamil journalists from the area were constantly being targeted by the Navy in collaboration with the Police.
In 2018, Thavaseelan had filed a complaint at the Human Rights Commission in Sri Lanka over the consistent threats and a short-term detention and questioning he underwent while he was investigating the Army land-grab of a destroyed LTTE cemetery in Alampil.