Sampath Lakmal de Silva

Twenty four year old Sampath Lakmal de Silva was a free lance defence correspondent for several Sinhala language newspapers, who was found shot dead in Colombo's southern suburb of Dehiwela on July 2, 2006. The newspaper Mr. de Silva wrote for include the Irudina, Lakbima and Sathdina.

Mr. de Silva's mother recalls him leaving his residence on the night of July 1, 2006 in the company of someone he greeted as "Kumar Sir," whom police initially suspected to be a Sri Lankan Army Intelligence Officer by the name of Lt. Kumara, who was arrested and later released in connection with the murder.

The assassination was condemned by UNESCO, and several international media organisations.