Hartal against civilian killings brings Vavuniya to standstill

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 January 2006, 10:40 GMT]
Normal life and business in Vavuniya town and suburbs came to a standstill Friday by a hartal (shut down) organised by Tamil Student's Union in protest against the killings of civilians in NorthEast by the Sri Lankan Armed forces, Intelligence operatives and paramilitaries. Very few vehicles plied the streets, shops remained closed, schools were closed, businesses and private institutions remained closed and the town was deserted. The hartal was peaceful, Vavuniya Police said.

Meanwhile, a cordon and search operation was conducted by the Sri Lanka Army and Police, in Manippuram Housing Scheme, 8 km northwest of Vavuniya, from Friday morning till noon.

No arrests were made, according to the Police.