News In Brief

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 October 1997, 23:59 GMT]
A seventeen year old Tamil girl has been assaulted by Sri Lankan soldiers. Puththur market is seeing a revival after SLA troops pulled out from the area, and Pandaththarippu Co-op is to be repaired by the UNDP.

Teenage girl assaulted by Sri Lankan soldiers

A seventeen year old girl from Nayanmarkaddu was abducted by the Sri Lankan army from her home at Semmany street.

The girl was brought back and thrown near her house in the early hours of the morning with her hands, feet and mouth tied up.

When the parents of the girl went to the Sri Lankan army camp at the Nayanmarkaddu junction to complain shots were fired scaring them away.

The abducted girl was unconscious until she was taken to the hospital for treatment.

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Market comes to life after SLA leave

The Puththur market began functioning again after the Sri Lankan army removed its camp which was located near it until last week.

The SLA also removed barricades at the Kopay junction and in the Kopay Christian college area. Another road block was removed in Urumpirai.

The Sri Lankan army has begun removing several road blocks in the peninsula in recent weeks. This is said to be connected to the shortage of troops in the Vanni.

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Pandaththarippu Co-op to be repaired

Arrangements are underway to repair the garment factory, weaving centre and stores belonging to the Pandaththarippu Multi Purpose Co-operative society.

The buildings were partly destroyed when the SLA moved into the area in July 1995. The reconstruction program is being undertaken with UN Development Program assistance.

A group of officials from the UNDP inspected the buildings recently to assess the damage.

Meanwhile the Nallur Pradeshiya Sabha office has finalised a report on reconstructing the Thinneveli market building at a cost of three million rupees although no money is available for the project.