Maunasami Parameswaree

Maunasami Parameswaree also spelt Manusamy Parameshwari is a minority Sri Lankan Tamil journalist for the newspaper Mawbima. She was arrested on November 24 2006 under the under terrorism law and later released after International human rights and Media organisation campaign for her release after being jailed for 4 months without charge.^[1][2]

Background

This incident is part of acts of violence and intimidation against journalists and human rights activists taking place in Sri Lanka.These killing is part of series of killing,abduction and attacks on the Tamil Media in Sri Lanka^[3][4][5]These killings,abductions and threats are seen as part of the dirty war launched by Mahindra Rajapakse government.^{[6] [7]}

Incident

Maunasami Parameswaree was arrested when she went to interview a Tamil women whose brother had been abducted.She and the women were arrested.Her family members were assaulted in Gompala in Kandy. Mawbima was forced to close for carrying critical reports about the Rajapakse Government.^[8] Dushantha Basnayake the finance director of the financial director of Standard Newspapers Private Limited which publishes Mawbima was also arrested under the anti terrorism law. Sri Lankan government newspaper published a stories that explosives was recovered based on her confession however it turned that it was a fake story by the Sri Lankan officials and no explosives were recovered.^[9] She was a strong critic of human rights violations by the Sri Lankan Military.^[10]

Release

Maunasami Parameswaree was released after no evidence could be found against her but the fate of the women arrested with her is unknown.^[11][12]

References

1. ^ Shocking Violations” of Journalists’ Rights Continue in Sri Lanka
2. ^ Sad saga of post Rajapakse media freedom
3. ^ Tamil media caught in ongoing conflict
4. ^ Intimidation of Tamil media.
5. ^ Press Freedom, World Review, June - November 2006
6. ^ Fact-finding report by the International Press Freedom Mission to Sri Lanka
7. ^ Sri Lanka: "Shocking violations? of journalists? rights continue in Sri Lanka
8. ^ Sri Lankan Media harassed
9. ^ Court frees young woman journalist who had been held for four months
10. ^ Dateline: Let the Games Begin
11. ^ BBC Sri Lankan journalist released
12. ^ SRI LANKA: Court frees Mawbima reporter