SLA to strictly enforce curfew in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 28 January 2007, 11:16 GMT]
The high command of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA ) from Palaly announced in a media communiqué issued Saturday that the night curfew already in place in the peninsula from 7:00 pm till 4:00am will be very strictly imposed effective immediately. Along main roads in Jaffna, Sri Lanka Army (SLA) vehicles using loudspeakers announced violators of curfew hours will be arrested and subjected to legal action.

Cash, jewellery and properties costing many millions of rupees have been robbed in the last two weeks, mainly from houses in Jaffna town, Nallur and Chunnakam which are within the direct surveillance of the SLA, and during curfew hours.

Even on Friday night number of houses including one in Aryalai were robbed and many valuables removed, sources said.

The armed robbers, in white vans and on foot, move about with ease despite the presence of SLA troopers in these areas, civil society sources in Jaffna said.

The SLA says these robberies are carried out to tarnish their reputation. But no one has been arrested by the SLA or the police in connection with the escalating number of robberies, abductions and killings in the peninsula.

Many of the robberies have taken place close to the military camps in heavily guarded areas during curfew hours.