7th SLA detention centre opened in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 29 March 2009, 05:49 GMT]
In addition to the existing six Sri Lanka Army (SLA) detention centres in Jaffna district SLA has established another in Kaithadi in Thenmaraadchi where there are already four centres, to detain civilians fleeing war in Vanni. Saturday alone more than 200 families arrived in Thenmaraadchi and were placed in temporary makeshift sheds erected in the building complex of Palmyra Development Board (PDB) in Kaithadi, Thenmaraadchi Divisional Secretariat officials said.

The number of civilian families fleeing war and brought by SLA to be confined in the detention centres is increasing day by day.

The other SLA detention centres are located in Koappaay Teachers’ Training College Hostel, old judicial complex building in Kurunakar, Kaithadi Jaffna University Chiththa medical college hostel, Kaithadi Saiva Childrens’ Home, Kodikaamam Government Tamil Mixed School and Mirusuvil Catholic Church centre.

The hastily erected sheds in Kaithadi PDB are low in structure with tarpaulin sheets for roof without any basic facilities.

The people placed in these makeshift sheds with tarpaulin sheets for roof are susceptible for various infective diseases as it has become exceedingly hot in these areas, local NGOs raised concern.

More and more civilians are being brought and those arriving in recent times have next to nothing and their situation is miserable, they said,

Nearly 6,000 civilians are being held in the SLA detention centres of which 5,000 are placed in Thenmaraadchi.

All the seven detention centres are under the full control of SLA.