The office of a news website, Lankaenews (or Lanka-e-news) was set on fire over the weekend, apparently in an act of arson.
The news website shows photos of the completely decimated office after the fire, which destroyed the organization’s computers. It is not the first time they have been attacked. According to a statement from Sri Lanka’s UNP Deputy Leader and Gampaha district Parliamentarian Karu Jayasuriya, published on tamilweek.com, they have been targeted at least twice in the past.
Jayasuriya states that in January 2010, special feature writer Prageeth Eknaligoda disappeared, and a few days later the website’s office was surrounded by a crowd upset by the site’s support for General Sarath Fonseka during the presidential election. He added that the owner of Lanka-e-news has left Sri Lanka due to threats against him.
Lanka-e-news said on their website that the most recent attack against them was caused by arsonists who used gasoline to set fire to their office.
According to Reporters without Borders (RSF), the media in Sri Lanka are often targets of threats and violence. RSF added that the attack might be connected to the website’s recent editorial content:
The attack came several days after Lanka-e-News published an article questioning the testimony that defence secretary Gotabaya Rajapakse, the president’s brother, gave in a case brought against former army commander Sarath Fonseka.
Images from the Lanka-e-news website of their office after a fire that they suspect was arson.