Kilinochchi Press Club requests release of land and building held by military

The Kilinochchi Media Centre has sent a letter to the President requesting the release of the land and building of the Kilinochchi Press Club, currently under the control of the military.

The organisation, which includes full-time and part-time journalists living and working in the Kilinochchi District, stated the following in its letter:

It noted that following the resettlement process in December 2009, its administrative structure was reorganised and has since continued to function as a civil organisation.

The letter further states that prior to 2008, the journalists’ association operated from its own land of around a quarter-acre and an office building located near the “Kakka Kadai” junction on the A9 Road in Kilinochchi. All media-related activities were carried out from that premises.

However, since the area came under government control, the land and building have remained under the custody of the security forces, the letter claims. It also notes that while surrounding properties such as the Yogaswami Centre and the primary section of Kilinochchi Maha Vidyalaya have already been released, the Press Club premises remain unreleased.

The organisation said repeated written requests had been made to successive governments, but no positive outcome had been achieved.

Expressing hope in current reforms, the group urged the President to take steps to release the land and building to enable more efficient professional media work.

Copies of the letter were also sent to the Media Minister, Northern Province Governor, Fisheries Minister and Kilinochchi District Development Committee Chairman, as well as Members of Parliament Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam, Sivagnanam Sritharan, Thuraiyarasa Ravikaran, the Kilinochchi District Secretary, and the Karachchi Divisional Secretary.