Journalists Killed in 2009 - Motive Confirmed: Puniyamoorthy Sathiyamoorthy
| Publisher | Committee to Protect Journalists |
| Publication Date | January 2010 |
| Cite as | Committee to Protect Journalists, Journalists Killed in 2009 - Motive Confirmed: Puniyamoorthy Sathiyamoorthy, January 2010, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4e64968e23.html [accessed 5 June 2023] |
| Disclaimer | This is not a UNHCR publication. UNHCR is not responsible for, nor does it necessarily endorse, its content. Any views expressed are solely those of the author or publisher and do not necessarily reflect those of UNHCR, the United Nations or its Member States. |
freelance
February 12, 2009, in Mullaitheevu district, Sri Lanka
Sathiyamoorthy, a supporter of the secessionist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), wrote for many pro-Tamil publications and frequently contributed to official LTTE media. His live commentaries from conflict zones were widely seen and heard on pro-Tamil television and radio broadcasts. According to independent Tamil news sources as well as the LTTE, he was killed in a Sri Lankan artillery barrage in the Mullaitheevu district.
Colleagues outside of the conflict area, not all of them Tamils, said Sathiyamoorthy's reports and commentaries were measured, and that he strove to maintain journalistic standards and an accurate representation of the wartime situations in which he found himself. His work had global impact, reaching large numbers of Tamils living overseas.
Born in 1972, he eventually moved to Jaffna but traveled throughout the areas controlled by the LTTE during the conflict. He was married and was the father of a 6-year-old girl.
Several Tamil media reports said Sathiyamoorthy did not die immediately. They cited relatives who said a lack of proper medical attention contributed to his death.
| Medium: | Radio, Television |
| Job: | Broadcast Reporter |
| Beats Covered: | Politics, War |
| Gender: | Male |
| Local or Foreign: | Local |
| Freelance: | Yes |
| Type of Death: | Dangerous Assignment |
| Suspected Source of Fire: | Government Officials |
