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New York, April 4, 2000 --- Shortly before midnight on April 3, an explosive device was detonated at the home of Nellai G. Nadesan, a columnist for Veerakesari, the country's leading Tamil-language newspaper. Nadesan was not injured in the blast, though the explosion caused some damage to his home.

Nadesan lives in a high-security zone in the eastern city of Batticaloa. The area around his home is heavily patrolled by armed forces and pro-government Tamil militia, who have been helping government troops fight the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), a guerrilla movement seeking an independent homeland for Sri Lanka's ethnic Tamil minority.

A statement released by the Eastern Journalists Association, a local press group, said that Nadesan had received numerous threats. CPJ is investigating possible motives behind the attack.


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