Lasantha Wickrematunga Editor of Sunday Leader was assasinted on January 8, 2009. (Picture by Sunday Leader)
In fateful coincidence, French journalists including Stephane Charbonnier, editor of French satirical magazine Charlie Hebdo were killed today on the eve of Sri Lankan editor Lasanatha Wickrematunga’s sixth death anniversary. Wickrematunga was assassinated in Colombo six years ago.
Today’s attack in Paris took place during the magazine’s editorial meeting. French media reported 12 people killed in the attack included three cartoonists; Cabu, Tignous and Wolinski.
“I am angered and saddened to hear of the terrorist attack today in the offices of the Parisian news magazine “Charlie Hebdo,” which has killed at least 12 individuals, including two police officers,” Prime Minister Stephen Harper said in a statement today.
“On behalf of all Canadians, I offer my deepest condolences to the family and friends of those who lost their lives during this heinous crime and wish a speedy recovery to those injured. The perpetrators of this attack must be apprehended and brought to justice.”
PHOTO ESSAYS IN MEMORY OF LASANTHA
Six years ago, Sunday Leader editor Lasanatha Wickrematunga was assassinated by armed men on motorcycle as he drove to work in broad daylight in the Sri Lankan capital Colombo. The assailants of the crime were never found, yet Wickrematunga predicted his death in his final editorial.
Groundviews, a citizen journalism initiative by Centre for Policy Alternatives in Sri Lanka along with Canada based Sri Lankans Without Borders (SLWB) today released photo essays to commemorate the death anniversary of Lasantha.
“A tribute to a journalist whose brutal murder has impoverished us all, irrespective of whether we agreed with him or not… and also a tribute to Sri Lanka as it has always been and must continue to be – a rich, diverse, multi-religious and multi-ethnic society,” a statement said.
Click on the link to access each essay:
• Religious Intolerance and Islamophobia in Post-war Sri Lanka
• Children, on Religion
• Rituals, Unpacked
Yesterday, the Free Media Movement (FMM) in Sri Lanka held a vigil for fallen media personnel including Dharmaratnam Sivaram (Taraki) editor of Tamilnet, Lasantha Wickrematunga, Editor of the Sunday Leader and Prageeth Egnaligoda, Cartoonist and political analysts, according to the Sunday Times in Colombo.
Earlier this month Wickrematunga’s daughter wrote an article “8th Jan: Poetic Justice For My Father Lasantha?” in reference to the heated presidential election in Sri Lanka set for tomorrow.
