News in Brief

[TamilNet, Friday, 16 October 1998, 10:43 GMT]
Mulankavil hospital releases figures, Tigers say they lost two of their members in a confrontation with the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) in Mankulam, SLA introduces new regulations for transport of goods and a school boy is reported missing in Jaffna.

Mulankavil hospital releases figures

Two hundred and seven people were treated for malnutrition at the Open Patients Department at the Mulankavil hospital in the Vanni said hospital sources. They said 8711 patients were treated at the OPD last month.

Sources revealed further that 1439 were treated for Malaria, 842 for diarrhoea and 2293 for fever.

Among the eight patients who were treated for Cholera two, Arulanantham, 50, and Thomas, 63, died they said further.

Among 320 who were admitted in the ward 52 were treated for Malaria, 31 for diarrhoea, 17 for malnutrition, 4 for typhoid, 10 for rabies and 206 with fever the sources added.

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Two Tigers die in Mankulam

The Liberation Tigers said in Vanni that two of their members died in a confrontation with the Sri Lankan Army in Mankulam on Wednesday.

They are Vijitha, (Vasanthakumari Shekar, from Muththayankaddu) and Anjalika (Shanthi Thambirasa, from Jaffna) they said further.

Meanwhile Sri Lankan Army fired mortars from its Vavuniya camp last night around 9.30 sources said. The SLA firing followed sounds of explosions a short while earlier.

Further details are not known.

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New transport regulations

The Sri Lankan Army has enforced new regulations regarding transport of goods from Jaffna to islands off the peninsula. The regulations came on to effect from October 14.

According to the new regulations, businessmen who transport goods to Velanai must have 3 copies of the list of goods being transported.

One copy shall be handed over at the SLA camp in Allaipiddy, the second at the Vankalavadi camp in Velanai, and they shall keep the third.

The rule applies to Multi Purpose Co-operative Stores (MPCS) as well as private businessmen.

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School boy reported missing

A youth was shot dead by the Sri Lankan Navy (SLN) in Velanai on October 13. The navy handed over his body to the Jaffna hospital Wednesday evening. Following the incident two women have been arrested by the SLN. They are: Rajalogini Raveenthiran (mother of five) and Sivamalar Sellathurai.

A school boy, Suntharalingam Piratheepan, from Achchuveli north who went to Jaffna town to attend a private tuition class has been reported missing said sources in Jaffna.

He is a student of Jaffna Hindu College.

His parents have informed the National Human Rights Commission.

Meanwhile three people, Ambalavanar Sivapiragasam (38), Shanmuganathan Sasikumar (18) and Sinnathmby Sivalingam (52), arrested by the SLN in Velanai are detained at the Kankesanthurai detention centre.

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) informed their relatives of the detention.