Toronto Tamil newspaper office vandalized

The editor of a local Tamil newspaper says an attack on his office in Toronto's east end left a gaping hole in the front window — and left him worried about his safety.

Logan Logandralingam, the editor of Uthayan, said he got an anonymous phone call Sunday morning from a man who told him to go to his office, where a "message" would be waiting for him.

He arrived at the office around 8:30 a.m. and found the office windows had been broken.

"The scene was very terrible," he said. "I was very sad and I got frustrated to see the broken pieces everywhere."

Toronto police are investigating the incident, but Logandrahlingam told CBC News that he thinks the attack may have been a warning from people who are unhappy that some members of the Canada-Sri Lanka Business Council travelled to Sri Lanka to meet with President Mahinda Rajapaksa.

He said the caller said Logandrahlingam's "friends" had visited the Sri Lankan president, who was a "killer" and "an enemy of Tamils."

Logandrahlingam, who launched the community newspaper 15 years ago, said he never expected his office would be vandalized because he didn’t report on the trip.

"I thought working in our community, doing publications, doing something in our community is not dangerous," he said.

But he said the recent vandalism has made him more aware of his safety.

"I fully understand that I have to be very keen about my personal safety," he said Monday, adding that he plans to address the vandalism in an editorial.