2 Batticaloa youths abducted in Negombo

[TamilNet, Friday, 24 August 2007, 16:18 GMT]
Two Tamil youths, residents of Periyapouratheivu in Batticaloa district, have been reported missing since July 22 while staying with their relatives in Negombo, according to complaints lodged by their relatives with the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRCSL), Civil Monitoring Committee (CMC), Human Rights Home and International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC).

Missing youths have been identified as Subramaniam Suthaharan, 25 and Subramaniam Santhakumar, 21.

The youths were displaced from Periyapouratheivu in a military operation launched by the Sri Lanka Army and later sought refuge in Onthaachchimadam welfare centre. They came to Negombo in search of employment and had been staying with their relatives, the complaint said.

A group of five persons, one of them in police uniform and others in civil on July 22 identifying themselves as police officials asked Suthaharan and Santhakumar to come with them for inquiry. Both youths did not return thereafter. Abductors were conversing in Sinhala and were in possession of firearms when they forcibly took these youths with them, according to complaints.