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| Version 2 | Version 3 |
|---|---|
| Lasantha Wickrematunge: Murdered editor's body exhumed in Sri Lanka | Lasantha Wickrematunge: Murdered editor's body exhumed in Sri Lanka |
| (about 4 hours later) | |
| Sri Lankan police have exhumed the body of a prominent newspaper editor as part of a new investigation into his murder. | Sri Lankan police have exhumed the body of a prominent newspaper editor as part of a new investigation into his murder. |
| Lasantha Wickrematunge edited the Sunday Leader, which was critical of then President Mahinda Rajapaksa. | Lasantha Wickrematunge edited the Sunday Leader, which was critical of then President Mahinda Rajapaksa. |
| He said before his 2009 murder that the government would kill him. The Rajapaksa government denied the claim. | He said before his 2009 murder that the government would kill him. The Rajapaksa government denied the claim. |
| A new post-mortem will be held to establish cause of death. In July, a military intelligence official was arrested in connection with the murder. | A new post-mortem will be held to establish cause of death. In July, a military intelligence official was arrested in connection with the murder. |
| Lasantha Wickrematunge's killing came at a time of intense restrictions on the media in Sri Lanka. | Lasantha Wickrematunge's killing came at a time of intense restrictions on the media in Sri Lanka. |
| The Sunday Leader had accused the government and the military of rights abuses during their fight against the Tamil Tiger separatist movement. | The Sunday Leader had accused the government and the military of rights abuses during their fight against the Tamil Tiger separatist movement. |
| In January 2009 the editor had written an editorial saying he believed he would be killed by the government and that an inquiry would come to nothing. | In January 2009 the editor had written an editorial saying he believed he would be killed by the government and that an inquiry would come to nothing. |
| He was killed by unidentified attackers in Colombo three days later. | He was killed by unidentified attackers in Colombo three days later. |
| According to police reports at the time, unidentified gunmen on motorcycles shot him dead on his way to work in Colombo. But two post mortems were inconclusive - one found the editor had died from gunshot injuries, while another said there was no evidence of bullet wounds. | |
| After his surprise win in elections in 2014, the new President, Maithripala Sirisena, vowed to reform Sri Lanka's treatment of the media and to reopen the investigation into Wickrematunge's murder. | |
| The military intelligence officer held in July was the first person to be arrested in the case. | The military intelligence officer held in July was the first person to be arrested in the case. |
| Earlier this month, a judge gave permission for the editor's body to be exhumed, because of the conflicting post-mortem reports. His grave has been under guard since then. | |
| Journalist Mandana Ismail Abeywickrama, who was a close friend of the editor, was nominated by his family to witness the exhumation. | Journalist Mandana Ismail Abeywickrama, who was a close friend of the editor, was nominated by his family to witness the exhumation. |
| "I had to identify the body - it was one of the most difficult things I have done in my life," she told BBC Sinhala's Azzam Ameen. | "I had to identify the body - it was one of the most difficult things I have done in my life," she told BBC Sinhala's Azzam Ameen. |
| "To see his remains like this made me angry that we had to wait so long for justice for him. I don't know why still they have not questioned people who were in charge of the defence establishment at that time." | "To see his remains like this made me angry that we had to wait so long for justice for him. I don't know why still they have not questioned people who were in charge of the defence establishment at that time." |
| Extract from Lasantha Wickrematunge's editorial | Extract from Lasantha Wickrematunge's editorial |
| It is well known that I was on two occasions brutally assaulted, while on another my house was sprayed with machine-gun fire. Despite the government's sanctimonious assurances, there was never a serious police inquiry into the perpetrators of these attacks, and the attackers were never apprehended. | It is well known that I was on two occasions brutally assaulted, while on another my house was sprayed with machine-gun fire. Despite the government's sanctimonious assurances, there was never a serious police inquiry into the perpetrators of these attacks, and the attackers were never apprehended. |
| In all these cases, I have reason to believe the attacks were inspired by the government. When finally I am killed, it will be the government that kills me... | In all these cases, I have reason to believe the attacks were inspired by the government. When finally I am killed, it will be the government that kills me... |
| In the wake of my death I know you will make all the usual sanctimonious noises and call upon the police to hold a swift and thorough inquiry. But like all the inquiries you have ordered in the past, nothing will come of this one, too. | In the wake of my death I know you will make all the usual sanctimonious noises and call upon the police to hold a swift and thorough inquiry. But like all the inquiries you have ordered in the past, nothing will come of this one, too. |