Abductions and arrests of Tamils have sharply increased in recent weeks with at least 59 cases of abductions or disappearances reported in the Eastern province and over 391 mass arrests made by the Sri Lankan security forces outside the South and East of the country.
According to complaints made by relatives of 17 abductees from Moothoor East in Trincomalee district and Thirukovil in Batticaloa district, in most cases, the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and paramilitary military men who operate with them came to the houses of the youths in white vans and forcibly took the youths away. Some had gone missing after going to their work places.
Speaking at the Batticaloa District Development and Coordinating Meeting, Wellaaveli Predesha Sabah President V. R. Mahenthiran said that 42 civilians had gone missing in Wellaaveli and Paduvaankarai in recent weeks.
Many civilians had gone missing or abducted by unidentified armed men in Paduvvankarai area in the past few months and the complaints made by their relatives in the respective police stations have not brought forth any constructive results, he further said.
The residents of Wellaaveli area and Paduvaankarai live in constant fear and anxiety due to the abductions and forced disappearances, Mahenthiran told the attendees of the meeting.
The Eastern Province Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Edwin Gunathilake, however, brushed aside the statement saying that Liberation Tigers may have abducted them or they had joined the Liberation Tigers or had left the country under false names.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan security forces have arrested over 391 Tamils in the South and East of the island in the first two weeks of April alone.
The residents of Wellaaveli area and Paduvaankarai live in constant fear and anxiety due to the abductions and forced disappearances, Mahenthiran told the attendees of the meeting.
The Eastern Province Deputy Superintendent of Police (DSP), Edwin Gunathilake, however, brushed aside the statement saying that Liberation Tigers may have abducted them or they had joined the Liberation Tigers or had left the country under false names.
Meanwhile, Sri Lankan security forces have arrested over 391 Tamils in the South and East of the island in the first two weeks of April alone.
The SLA and Sri Lanka Police from Thursday April till Friday, April 10 morning conducted several cordon search operations in Colombo and Ampaarai arresting 40 Tamils.
Police spokesman Ranjit Gunasekara told media that detained civilians had failed to prove their identity and justify their presence in the location. Most of the arrested Tamils are residents of Jaffna.
14 Tamil youths were taken into custody in Wellawatte area, he said.
Another 26 Tamils were taken into custody in cordon and search operations conducted by the Special Task Force with the Police in police divisions of Kalmunai, Sammanthurai and Paandiruppu in eastern province, police spokesman Ranjit Gunasekara said.
Another 26 Tamils were taken into custody in cordon and search operations conducted by the Special Task Force with the Police in police divisions of Kalmunai, Sammanthurai and Paandiruppu in eastern province, police spokesman Ranjit Gunasekara said.
Few days earlier, the SLA and Police conducted dusk-to-dawn cordon and search operations in several parts of Gampaha town and its suburbs on Tuesday April 7 through to Wednesday April 8 and arrested about 219 civilians majority of them Tamils from North East and upcountry Tamils working in business establishments and other private sector institutions.
Sri Lankan armed forces had subjected about ten thousand civilians to interrogation and searched about 1400 vehicles. Tamil civilians arrested in the operation failed to prove their identity and justify their presence in the location, according to police.
Sri Lankan armed forces had subjected about ten thousand civilians to interrogation and searched about 1400 vehicles. Tamil civilians arrested in the operation failed to prove their identity and justify their presence in the location, according to police.
Arrested were detained in several police stations in Gampaha district and interrogated.
On the same day, Special Task Force (STF) commandos and police arrested 46 Tamils in a joint cordon and search conducted in Kalmunai and Chammaanththurai police divisions in Ampaarai district.
More than a hundred persons were taken into custody and released after interrogation. 25 of them in Kalmunai police station and 5 in Chammaanththurai police station have been detained for further investigation, sources in Ampaarai said.
Another 21 Tamils were arrested in the search conducted in Paandiruppu area from early morning till noon while 5 Tamils were taken into custody in Valaththaappiddi in Chammaanththurai.
Meanwhile in Colombo, Sri Lanka police took into custody 14 Tamil youths in a search operation conducted in Wellawathe, a suburb of Colombo city, according to complaints made to Deputy Minister P. Rathakrishnan by the youths’ relatives. The arrested youths are from Jaffna, the police said.
Another 21 Tamils were arrested in the search conducted in Paandiruppu area from early morning till noon while 5 Tamils were taken into custody in Valaththaappiddi in Chammaanththurai.
Meanwhile in Colombo, Sri Lanka police took into custody 14 Tamil youths in a search operation conducted in Wellawathe, a suburb of Colombo city, according to complaints made to Deputy Minister P. Rathakrishnan by the youths’ relatives. The arrested youths are from Jaffna, the police said.
Rathakrishnan also stated another 24 Tamil youths were arrested few days earlier, on Saturday April 4 and Sunday April 5.
In addition, 10 Tamils were arrested in Trincomalee district in a cordon and search operation in several areas in Uppuveli police division on Sunday April 5 and another 12 Tamils were arrested in in Nuwereliya, Bogawanthalawa, Aniwathe in Kandy in a cordon and search operation conducted Thursday April 2.
Many more were arrested in the two cordon and search operations but were released after interrogation, according to local sources.