Action Alert Archive

Take Action Now! (International)

Gratitude for An Honest Portrayal of Sri Lanka

October 2, 2009

Until recently, most of the world did not know about the suffering of Tamils in Sri Lanka. In the months after the end of the ethnic conflict, news sources worldwide began following the situation; however, The Guardian has far exceeded expectations by thoroughly exposing the atrocities committed by the Sri Lankan government. The Guardian's daily updates on Sri Lanka keep the world informed of the dire situation of Tamils in post-war Sri Lanka.

The language used in your September 14th article “Tamils rail under Sri Lanka's heel” immediately evokes compassion for the Sri Lankan Tamils and horror towards the brutality of the government. The description of the Rajapaksa administration as intimidating, intolerant, and ruthlessly repressing is powerfully accurate. For many years, the acts of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) were decried while the government's similarly corrupt tactics were underreported. It is essential that news articles critically explore all perspectives, and I have been pleased to see The Guardian hold itself to this standard.

I would like to thank you and your staff for your efforts in reporting on the horrific acts perpetrated by the Sri Lankan regime. I appreciate your poignantly honest portrayal of this monstrous government and its ravaging of Tamil civilians and I hope that other newspapers follow your example of integrity.