-
13 Tamil civilians abducted after reinstatement of PTA
[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 December 2006, 12:07 GMT]
Thirteen civilians, including a former Halo Trust personnel, in
Jaffna district were abducted Wednesday night after the Government
of Sri Lanka reinstated the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act
(PTA) Wednesday. Nine civilians from Kalviyankadu, Kadaipirai, Dutch
road areas in Valigamam east were abducted Wednesday night by armed
men alleged to be Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police, residents in
these areas said. The same night four civilians in Valigamam north
were abducted by SLA, according to complaints made by the relatives
of the abducted, at the Jaffna office of the Sri Lanka Human Rights
Commission (SLHRC).
SLA has refused to provide any written evidence to acknowledge that
they have "arrested" the disappeared civilians, the relatives told
SLHRC.
Complaints regarding the nine abducted from Valigamam east are yet
to be registered with the SLHRC Jaffna, the relatives of the
abducted said.
Meanwhile, Thiyaganagalingam Sundaralingam, 48, a trader and a
resident of Ambanai, Tellipalai was abducted by SLA troopers on
December 3 around 11:50 p.m from his house located within the SLA
High Security Zone (HSZ), according to complaints made by his wife
Kamalambikai Sundaralingam to the Jaffna SLHRC. Kamalambikai said
that her husband was taken away by SLA troopers, but when she
complained it to the SLA authorities, they had refused to provide
information.
SLHRC officials are in direct contact with the Commander of the SLA
Jaffna Maj. Gen. Chandrasiri regarding Sundaralingam's case but no
further information about the arrest is known, Rights sources said.
Meanwhile, the bodies of three victims who died in the claymore
blast Wednesday near the Pannai Bridge were identified by their
family members Thursday morning as Thambaiah Theivendram, 48, his
wife Pavalamany Theivendram, 46, their granddaughter Nanthakumar
Pirasanthini, 4, all residents of Ward No. 4 in Punguduthivu,
hospital sources said.
Another granddaughter of the couple, Shanthakumar Sharmila, 3,
seriously injured in the blast, is being treated at the Intensive
Care Unit (ICU) in Jaffna Teaching hospital.
The fourth victim who died in the claymore blast was identified as
Chellaiah Ragunathan, 50, the owner of Sandilipay Chelliah
Anthiranix shop in the Jaffna market.
Ragunathan was killed while riding his motor cycle by the site of
the blast. Vaseekaran 21 of Velanai, another seriously injured
civilian in the blast, is also receiving treatment at the ICU.
|
