Surge in Mannar residents fleeing to South India

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 26 July 2006, 01:55 GMT]
Increasing number of residents of Mannar district have started fleeing to South India by boats following the escalation in number of abductions, and killings of several Tamil civilians by State armed forces and Deep Penetration Units of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), civil sources said.

Civil leaders said they note with alarm several families from Murunkan, Uyilankulam, Silavathurai, Nanattan leaving their homes daily in fibre glass boats to seek refuge in Tamilnadu.

About fifteen Tamil families from Silavathurai left Tuesday by fibreglass boats from Old Bridge to South India, civil sources said.

Earlier hundreds of Tamil families from other parts of the North East, particularly from Trincomalee, and Vavuniya used Mannar as their exit point to leave to South India.

Number of residents of Trincomalee and Vavuniya leaving to South India has decreased, sources said.