The 10th anniversary of the assassination of The Sunday Leader founder, Editor-in-Chief Lasantha Wickrematunge, which falls on Tuesday, January 8, will be marked with a memorial Service at his graveside.
Family, friends, former colleagues and others, including those from political and diplomatic circles, will gather at Borella’s Kanatte Cemetery at 9 a.m. to mark the anniversary and remember Lasantha.
This year’s memorial will also feature a tribute to other journalists slain in the line of duty, acknowledging that Lasantha’s story was not the only one.
Assassinated on January 8, 2009, Lasantha was an outspoken critic of the Rajapaksa Government. He was attacked as he drove to work and later died of his injuries. The brazen attack was carried out by two gunmen on motorcycles in the middle of morning-rush-hour traffic.
The investigation into Lasantha’s murder has yielded no tangible results thus far and his killers still roam free, a decade later.
Slain in the line of duty, The Sunday Leader Founding Editor Lasantha Wickrematunge was one of Sri Lanka’s leading journalists and his paper led the charge in investigative journalism in the country.
A forum titled ‘10 Years After Lasantha: Whither Investigative Journalism in Sri Lanka?’ will be held on January 8 at the Lighthouse Auditorium, No. 24, Horton Place, Colombo 7, from 4 to 6 p.m, to mark the 10th anniversary of his assassination.
The speakers will comprise AFP Sri Lanka and Maldives Bureau Chief, Amal Jayasinghe, The Sunday Morning Editor and former Sunday Leader Editor Mandana Ismail Abeywickrema, Sunday Observer Editor and former Sunday Leader journalist Dharisha Bastian, Nikkei Asian Review Regional Correspondent and former Sunday Leader Features Editor, Marwaan Macan-Markar and Groundviews Editor and former Sunday Leader journalist, Raisa Wickrematunge. A panel discussion will follow. Entrance to the forum is free and all are welcome.