The reporting period for the following statistics
is for the seven weeks from March until 18 April 2006. The statistics given is for civilian deaths and disappearances that
occurred in Northeast during this period.
As can be seen the deaths and disappearances are caused
almost entirely by Sri Lankan Armed Forces (SLAFs) and its paramilitaries.
The data is collated
from what is reported in the local print media. Some have been reported as separate NESOHR
reports. Others have been confirmed through preliminary investigation by NESOHR
staff by telephone. The threat to life of NESOHR staff to work in the GoSL areas
remains. We wish to emphasize that all of our members, except those working in LTTE areas, are keeping away from NESOHR
work due to threat to their lives.
The
violence in large scale in Trincomalee town on 12 April 2006 while SLAFs
stood by has created fear among civilians that past history of large scale violence by SLAFs
may repeat. In addition to the killing of 20 civilians another 50 were injured in the
Trincomalee violence. Many have displaced due to fear and are living in schools as refugees. Shops and
residents owned by civilians were set alight. Small business owners have been targets of killings in Vavuniya and Jaffna. Due
to their high visibility in the community, business owners turn into easy targets. |
