Halo Trust employee feared abducted in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 14 January 2007, 11:11 GMT]
The driver of 'Halo Trust,' a humanitarian de-mining international non-governmental organization in Jaffna peninsula, has been missing since Tuseday 7:30 a.m after he left his house at Kellner Road in Nallur and reported for work at Halo Trust office, sources in Jaffna said. Nine employees from 'Halo Trust' have been either killed or abducted and disappeared in Jaffna Peninsula and the missing driver is the tenth victim.

C. Rajendran, 35, reported for work at 'Halo Trust' office after leaving his son at his school near 'Halo Trust' office near Old Park Road.

The employees of 'Halo Trust' are fear stricken by the continuing killings and abductions of their fellow staff.

The 'Halo Trust', despite the violence directed towards the staff, continues de-mining activities in the peninsula.

The authorities of 'Halo Trust', although blamed for not showing sufficient interest in the violence against its staff, are unable to openly offer any official security for its personnel, sources close to 'Halo Trust' said.

Meanwhile, a de-mining employee of Danish De-mining Group (DDG), an NGO in Jaffna peninsula, sought refugee with the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (SLHRC) Jaffna office fearing for his life at the hands of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the collaborating Tamil paramilitary cadres.