Forced labour at STF camps

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 August 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Local males, both adults and school going boys, are being forced to carry out hard labour by members of the Special Task Force (STF) based at the Kittangi STF camp, near Kalmunai 30 km south of Batticaloa, said sources in Batticaloa. A similar situation prevails at Veppaiyadi, 7 km south of Kittangi.

The men have to report every Saturday and Sunday at the camp and are made to chop firewood, fill sandbags and construct bunkers, while others have to cook or clean the camp toilets.

Each worker is allocated a number and has to sign on a register when he arrives at the camp. Those who fail to report are assaulted when they report on the following day.

Regular periods of hard labour for the STF has resulted in physical and mental strain among the people of the area, said sources.

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