Salem-News.com Journalist articles

When They Kill Journalists - Lasantha Wickrematunge; Six Years On

“I was surprised to see that this day (January 8th) was chosen for the presidential election, as the present administration is suspected to be behind the murder, and have done nothing to solve it.”- Johan Mikaelsson, author

(LOS ANGELES) - Six years ago in 2009, on a day like today (January 8th) was when I received the most dreadful phone call of my entire life, thus far.

At the time, I was residing off-Attidiya Road in Dehiwela, when a close friend living in Kalubowila rang me, and stated that Lasantha had been attacked a few minutes ago. That was all I recall hearing from the other end; it indeed was a brief phone call, yet, at the same time, I went completely blank with the malicious news that my ears did not want to perceive, and my heart did not want to accept.