Assault on Rivira Editor

Rafik JALALDEEN

Upali Tennekoon, Editor of the weekend publication Rivira was assaulted by unknown persons near Imbulgoda, 200 metres away from his residence, yesterday morning when he was driving to work with his wife.

Police spokesman SSP Ranjith Gunasekera said two motorcycles which were following him, had blocked his vehicle and attacked him.

The attackers first broke the windscreen and the windows by a pole and cut Tennekoon’s face and hands while his wife was also injured when she attempted to prevent the attackers harming Tennekoon, the spokesman added.

The Editor and his wife were brought to the Colombo National Hospital and treated.

Prasad Ariyawansa of the Colombo National Hospital said Tennekoon was treated for lacerations to his hands and forehead. His wife who had cut wounds in her hand was also treated.

The Government yesterday issued a statement vehemently condemning the brutal attack on the Editor and his wife and said that at a critical time when the country is about to eliminate terrorism completely, certain conspiratory groups are trying to embarrass the Government by such deeds.

President Mahinda Rajapaksa has instructed the Defense Ministry to conduct immediate inquiries into the incident.

Prime Minister Ratnasiri Wickramanayake told Parliament yesterday that a special investigation will be conducted to probe the assault.

Police spokesman SSP Gunasekera said that two teams from the Colombo Crime Division and two police teams under the Gampaha SSP were deployed to carry out the investigations.

Rivira newspaper has a political orientation sympathetic to the Government and is supportive of the humanitarian operations conducted by the Security Forces in the Vanni.

The Directors of Rivira Publications include among others Nilanka Rajapaksa and Prasanna Wickremasuriya.

Its Editor Tennekoon was vehemently criticized recently by Opposition Leader Ranil Wickremesinghe at a press conference.

Wickremesinghe’s remarks were met with wide opposition from media organizations and the public as a threat on media freedom.

Several media organizations and civil society groups have already condemned the attack on the Rivira Editor and his wife.

Tennekoon is a senior journalist and a longstanding Editor, who worked at the Upali Newspapers prior to joining the Rivira Publications.