SLA arrests two Pt. Pedro MPCS workers

[TamilNet, Monday, 06 October 2003, 08:44 GMT]
The Sri Lanka army arrested two persons working at the Multi Purpose Co-operative Society (MPCS) in Pt. Pedro, Jaffna Monday morning for having in their possession two copies of the tenth anniversary volume of the Charles Anthony Brigade, the first conventional military formation of the Liberation Tigers. The Pt. Pedro MPCS is located inside part of the town centre garrisoned by the SLA’s 52-4 Brigade.

Colleagues of the arrested MPCS workers said two were Mr. Subramaniam Pirapaharan, 45 of Thumpalai and Kannaiah Selvarajah, 20 of Alvaai.

MPCS workers have to go to work through SLA checkpoint at the entrance to the garrison in the town centre.

“Pirapaharan and Selvarajah were arrested by soldiers from the army intelligence. There is nothing illegal about the book. It is not banned. In fact it was released in public”, one their colleagues to TamilNet.

The tenth anniversary volume of the Charles Anthony Brigade was released in Jaffna and Kilinochchi last Thursday and is available for sale in the north, priced at 1000 rupees (10.58 USD) a copy.

Meanwhile, the two Pt. Pedro harbour workers who were arrested and handed over to the Police by the SLA Sunday were released around 9 p.m. last night.

But both were turned back by the military when they reported to work Monday morning, sources in the Pt. Pedro harbour said.