Police to provide Munai fisher families protection from soldiers

[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 October 2003, 16:37 GMT]
The Point Pedro Police have started providing police protection to four fisher families of Munai area on complaints lodged by them at the police station that soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army are likely to take revenge on them, human rights sources said.

These families who fled from Munai area due to fear following the attack by the SLA soldiers on civilians last Tuesday night had said in their complaints that soldiers of the SLA who are located in the sentries near their houses are searching for them. "Hence we feel insecure to return to our homes," said the four families in their complaints, sources said

These four families have now returned to their homes in Munai area as the Point Pedro Police started to provide continuous police protection to them, civil sources said.

However some fishermen are reported to have been intimidated by SLA soldiers for taking part in the demonstration that took place Saturday, sources said.

Meanwhile SLA is continuing to issue passes to fishermen who go for fishing in northern sea through three army sentries located in the area. SLA soldiers Sunday also issued passes to Munai fishermen.

However Jaffna District Tamil National Alliance parliamentarian Mr.M.K.Sivajilingam said Sunday that the Defence Ministry Secretary Mr.Austin Fernando had informed him that the police, instead of the SLA, would issue passes to fishermen, sources said

In the meantime Point Pedro police have started regular patrolling in the Munai area, sources said