Sri Lankan editor Lasantha Wickrematunge awarded UNESCO world press freedom prize

Sri Lankan journalist Lasantha Wickrematunge has been awarded the UNESCO world press freedom prize.

Wickrematunge, who was assassinated in January, wrote an editorial predicting his death, which was published posthumously and spoke out against attacks on personal and press freedom in Sri Lanka.

"Jury members were moved to an almost unanimous choice by a man who was clearly conscious of the dangers he faced but nevertheless chose to speak out, even beyond his grave," said Joe Thloloe, president of the awards jury and press ombudsman of the Press Council of South Africa, said in a release on the UNESCO site.

Wickrematunge was born in 1958 and started his career training to be lawyer. He later became an investigative reporter for the Sun/Davasa newspaper, before founding the Sunday Leader newspaper with his brother.

A known opponent of the war between Sri Lanka and Tamil rebels, Wickrematunge used his newspaper as a means of protest, fighting in court against a law that allowed the state to curb the media and withstanding an arson attempt on the Leader's offices.

"[T]here is a calling that is yet above high office, fame, lucre and security. It is the call of conscience," he wrote in his posthumously published editorial.

The awards ceremony will take place on the May 3 in Doha, Qatar.

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