Richard de Zoysa
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Richard de Zoysa, a well-known Sri Lankan journalist, author, human rights activist and actor, was abducted and killed around February 17 or 18 of 1990
| Human Rights in Sri Lanka
Assasinations of Journalists |
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| Aiyathurai Nadesan-Balanadarajah Iyer-K.S.Raja-Mylvaganam Nimalrajan-Richard De Soyza-Thevis Guruge-Taraki Sivaram-Relangi Selvarajah-Nadarajah Atputharajah-I.Shanmugalingam-Subramaniyam Sugirdharajan–Sinnathamby Sivamaharajah |
Contents |
[edit] Biography
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Richard was a prominent media personality frequently featured reading the English television news as well as contributing to many newspaper articles. His was of mixed ethnicity, his father a majority Sinhalese and mother a prominent medical surgeon from the minority Sri Lankan Tamil community. He was born in Colombo, Sri Lanka.
[edit] Abduction
At the time of his abduction and murder, he was in charge of the Colombo office of the International Press Service. De Zoysa lived with his mother, Dr. Manoranee Saravanamuttu in the Welikadawatte housing estate. On the night of 17/18 February 1990, an armed group entered their home, removed Mr. de Zoysa and drove away without explanation.
Dr. Saravanamuttu immediately went to the Welikada police station and lodged a complaint. The next day, 19 February 1990, de Zoysa's dead body was found in the sea at Moratuwa, some 12 miles south of Colombo. He had been shot in the head and the throat, and his jaw was fractured. His body was identified by his friend late Taraki Sivaram who was also abducted and killed in 2006.
[edit] Government response
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| Background |
| Origins of the Civil War |
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• Origins of the Civil War |
| LTTE |
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• LTTE • Attributed Terrorist attacks • Child Soldiers |
| Major figures |
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• Mahinda Rajapakse |
| Indian Involvement |
| See also |
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• Military of Sri Lanka |
At the inquest the following day, Dr. Saravanamuttu said that she could identify two of the abductors. Three months later, she recognized a man on television as the man who had taken her son. He was a high-ranking police officer. She informed her solicitor who brought it to the notice of both the Magistrate conducting the inquiry into the incident and the police.
However, the suspect was not arrested nor was an identity parade held, nor has Dr. Saravanamuttu's identification been heard by a judicial officer. Both Dr. Saravanamuttu and her lawyer, Batty Weerakoon, have received death threats. Police officers assigned to guard Batty Weerakoon have also received such threats.. Dr. Saravanamuttu later became an activist for disappeared people and died in 2004 without ever finding the culprits who killed her son.
[edit] UN award in his memory
An award in recognition of independent journalism was established the UN sponsored Inter Press Service news agency in his memory.
[edit] See also
[edit] References
↑ *UTHR report on Richard De Zoyza’s death
