HRC official holds inquiry into Gurunagar death

[TamilNet, Thursday, 07 July 2005, 17:15 GMT]
Mr.Rohitha Priyatharshana, Jaffna Regional Co-ordinator of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL) Thursday advised the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to maintain their military positions in the high security zones in Jaffna district without causing unnecessary hardships or deaths to civilians. He made this observation at the inquiry held Thursday morning into the death of a Gurunagar young fisherman on July 2nd when he got entangled in SLA's live wire fence in the Gurunagar fisheries jetty, civil sources said.

Major Thathiriwatte of Colombagam Army Camp and an army captain of the Gurunagar Army Camp located in the five-storied Gurunagar Housing Unit, attended the inquiry.

Their statements were recorded, sources said.

Mr.Rohitha Priyatharshana told army officials at the inquiry to pay compensation to the family of the victim.

The father of the victim is suffering from paralysis and their house is located inside the high security zone. The family has lost the only breadwinner in this incident, he pointed out to army officials, sources said.

Mr.Rohitha Priyatharshana further told army officials that the commission had received several complaints regarding electricity leak in barbed wire fence erected by the army for their security purposes. The SLA has not taken any interest with regard to these complaints, he said.