Tissa leaves Sri Lanka — 28.06.2010
After two years of charges, trials and detention for his work, Sri Lankan reporter JS Tissainayagam (“Tissa”) has left Sri Lanka to seek safety abroad.
While the Sri Lankan government promised Tissa a pardon in May this year, the pardon has not been publically released. Tissa’s work as a reporter, as well as that of his editor and publisher, was muffled by the country’s oppressive counter-terrorism laws that sought to connect the magazine North-Eastern Monthly with pro-Tamil sentiment.
It is not currently known to Sydney PEN where Tissa has settled. Sydney PEN members and supporters have provided signatures to two major letter campaigns to the Sri Lankan government since late 2009.