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Alarm over Sri Lanka reinstating major accused of journalist murder

Alarm over Sri Lanka reinstating major accused of journalist murder

COLOMBO: An international rights group Thursday expressed alarm over the Sri Lanka army’s decision to reinstate an intelligence officer accused of high-profile attacks against journalists, including the assassination of a senior editor.

The New York-based Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) said reinstating major Prabath Bulathwatte created new threats for the media in Sri Lanka, which is currently under a state of emergency following the Easter terror attacks.

Bulathwatte was arrested in 2017 in connection with a string of attacks against journalists during the former regime of strongman president Mahinda Rajapakse and is currently on bail.

However, army commander Mahesh Senanayake last week told a local television network that Bulathwatte has been reinstated to boost the battle against local jihadists following the April 21 bombings in which 258 people died.

“Promoting to active duty an intelligence officer who has been implicated in the killing of one journalist and the torture of two others severely undermines Sri Lanka’s claim that it is fighting impunity for crimes against journalists,” said CPJ Asia Program Coordinator Steven Butler.

 

 

 

 

 

 

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M M Alam

M. M. Alam is a Pakistan-based working journalist since 1981. Karachi University faculty gold medalist Alam began his career four decades ago by writing for Dawn, Pakistan’s highest circulating English daily. He has worked for region’s leading publications, global aviation periodicals including Rotors (of USA) and vetted New York Times as permanent employee of daily Express Tribune. Alam regularly covers international aviation and defense-related events including Salon Du Bourget (France), Farnborough (United Kingdom), Dubai (UAE). Alam has reported thousands of events and interviewed hundreds of people in Pakistan, UAE, EU, UK and USA. Being Francophone Alam also coordinates with a number of French publications.