Veeramunai NGO employees continue to be detained

[TamilNet, Friday, 08 February 2008, 13:54 GMT]
Six female employees at the Veeramunai office of a Non Governmental Organization (NGO) Social Welfare Organization of Ampaa'rai District (SWOAD), arrested by Sammanthurai police Tuesday afternoon are continued to be detained, civil society sources in Ampaa'rai said.

Sammanthurai police said the employees were arrested after the Special Task Force (STF) troopers found a document connected to Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in the library of the SWOAD office.

Investigation by Sammanthurai police has been completed and the employees are now being investigated by intelligence unit from Ampaa'rai Police, Sammanthurai police said. The detained employees may then be sent to Colombo for further investigation, police sources added.

The employees under detention are Soosaiappu Mary Sugirtham, from Sorikkalmunai, Nagarajah Amutha from Veeramunai-02, Ponniah Rajeswary of Veeramunai-04, Thangarajah Bhavany of Veeramunai-03, Mailvaganam Gokulavathany from Valaththaapiddy, Malawththa, and Thangarajah from Police station road, Sammanthurai.

Meanwhile, Ampaa’rai district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian Mr.Pathmanathan has contacted the police as well as higher officials of Special Task Force (STF) and is taking steps to have the employees released.

SWOAD headquartered in Sagaamam Road, Akkaraippattu has offices throughout Ampaa’rai district. It provides loan for those with low income, implements housing schemes, participates in matters relating to Women’s right, and assists in educational development by establishing primary schools and libraries in the district.

SWOAD established in 1995 to co-ordinate welfare activities in Ampaa'rai District, has branches located in several villages in the district including Poththuvil, Koamaari, Thaa'ndiyadi, Vinayagapuram, Thirukkoayil, Thambiliuvil, Thampaddai, Vereramunai and Kaaraitheevu.

Veeramunai is a historical village where hundreds of civilians were killed by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers in 1990.

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