Sathiyamoorthy, a supporter of the secessionist Liberation
Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), wrote for many pro-Tamil publications and
frequently contributed to official LTTE media. His live commentaries from
conflict zones were widely seen and heard on pro-Tamil television and radio
broadcasts. According to independent Tamil news sources as well as the LTTE, he
was killed in a Sri Lankan artillery barrage in the Mullaitheevu district.
Colleagues outside of the conflict area, not all of them
Tamils, said Sathiyamoorthy’s reports and commentaries were measured, and that
he strove to maintain journalistic standards and an accurate representation of
the wartime situations in which he found himself. His work had global impact, reaching large
numbers of Tamils living overseas.
Born in 1972, he eventually moved to
controlled by the LTTE during the conflict. He was married and was the father
of a 6-year-old girl.
Several Tamil media reports said Sathiyamoorthy did not die
immediately. They cited relatives who said a lack of proper medical
attention contributed to his death.