Tab Article

Ratings: ★★★★★ (5/5)
Genre: Human Rights / Media Studies / History

Book Review:
Martyrs of the Freedom of Expression in Sri Lanka is a sobering and essential documentation of one of the darkest chapters in Sri Lanka's recent history. Compiled by Seetha Ranjanee and published by the Free Media Movement, this book meticulously records the assassination of media personnel, artists, and cultural activists between 1981 and 2009.

The book serves as a powerful testament to the price paid for speaking truth to power. Each entry is a reminder of the courage of journalists and activists who risked—and lost—their lives in the pursuit of free expression. The documentation is organized by date, providing a chronological record that helps readers understand the patterns and contexts of these attacks.

The Free Media Movement has performed an invaluable service by assembling this information. The book is not just a list of names; it is a historical document that exposes the systematic attempts to silence dissent and curtail media freedom in Sri Lanka. It offers crucial insights into the socio-political conditions that enabled such violence.

This book is essential reading for journalists, human rights defenders, students of Sri Lankan history, and anyone who believes in the fundamental importance of free expression. It is a somber but necessary reminder of what is at stake when freedom is under threat.