Journalists Killed in 1999 - Motive Unconfirmed: Vasthian Anthony Mariyadas
| Publisher | Committee to Protect Journalists |
| Publication Date | January 2000 |
| Cite as | Committee to Protect Journalists, Journalists Killed in 1999 - Motive Unconfirmed: Vasthian Anthony Mariyadas, January 2000, available at: https://www.refworld.org/docid/4e64954523.html [accessed 6 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. |
Freelancer
December 31, 1999, in Vavuniya, Sri Lanka
Mariyadas, a freelance radio reporter, was on assignment for the state-run Sri Lankan Broadcasting Corporation when he was killed in the northern town of Vavuniya.
A lone gunman shot Mariyadas in the head outside St. Anthony's Church, where he had gone to cover the New Year's Eve midnight mass service for a radio program broadcast in northern Sri Lanka. The journalist died before he could be taken to the hospital, according to CPJ's sources. Police estimated the time of death at 10:15 p.m.
Vavuniya is a government stronghold in the ongoing civil war between government forces and Tamil separatist rebels. However, there is no direct evidence linking Mariyadas's killing to this conflict.
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