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"To us
all towns are one, all men our kin. |
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"To us
all towns are one, all men our kin. |
| Home | Whats New | Trans State Nation | One World | Unfolding Consciousness | Comments | Search |
INDICTMENT AGAINST SRI LANKA
The Charge is Ethnic Cleansing
Sri Lanka's Undeclared War on Eelam Tamils
...in the Shadow of the Ceasefire: 2002 - 2007
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Soosaithas K Marinthiran (m), aged 31, laborer Sebastiampillai P Ruban (m), aged 24, bus conductor Balakrishnan Rajeevmohan, age 21, laborer Selvarajah Uthayarajah (m)  Soosaithas
Marinthiran, Sebastiampillai Ruban, Balakrishnan Rajeevmohan and
Selvarajah Uthayarajah have not been seen since being arrested in
separate incidents in late December and early January on the Jaffna
Peninsula in the far north of Sri Lanka. It is feared that they are
at risk of ''disappearance'' and there are grave concerns for their
safety. Soosaithas Marinthiran, Sebastiampillai Ruban and Balakrishnan Rajeevmohan were reportedly arrested by security forces personnel at their homes in the town of Ilavalai during the nights of 8, 9 and 10 January respectively. According to witnesses who saw Soosaithas Marinthiran and Balakrishnan Rajeevmohan being taken away, on both occasions the Sinhala-speaking security forces personnel were being assisted by some people speaking Tamil. The witnesses claim that some of those involved in the arrest or
abduction were wearing plain clothes and that some had their faces
partially covered with black cloth. The group arrived in two army
vehicles and one white van. The current whereabouts of the three men
and the reasons for their arrest are unknown. Relatives of the men
made inquiries about their arrest and apparent ''disappearance'' to
the army camp under the command of 513 Brigade of the Sri Lankan
army in Ilavalai, but the army denied the arrests. The relatives
also made inquiries at the Ilavalai police station, but were unable
to obtain information concerning the men's whereabouts. When the Grama Sevaka (head of the village) of Arasadi and others
inquired about Selvarajah Uthayarajah's detention, officials at
Meesalai army camp told them that he would be released the following
day. When he did not return home, relatives of Selvarajah
Uthayarajah made further inquiries at the camp. They were told that
he had been handed over to Vempiray army camp, which is situated
about one and a half kilometres away from the Meesalai camp, and is
under command of the Sri Lankan army's 52 Brigade. However,
officials at the Vempiray army camp denied that he was there.
Selvarajah Uthayarajah's relatives also inquired about his
whereabouts at the police station in Chavakachcheri, the nearest
large town, but were unable to obtain information about where he is
detained. In February 2002, after two decades of conflict, the government
of Sri Lanka and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) entered
into a cease-fire agreement and proceeded to hold a series of peace
talks. These negotiations broke down in April 2003 and have stalled
since then. Recently, amid fears of a return to war, both sides have
agreed in principle to meet to discuss implementation of the
cease-fire agreement but have not agreed on a venue or date for
talks. Norway, which is facilitating the peace process, is sending
its Special Envoy, Erik Solheim, to Sri Lanka on 23 January. - urging the authorities to make public the whereabouts of the
four men named above; |
