SLA collects particulars only from Tamil traders in Colombo

[TamilNet, Saturday, 10 October 2009, 09:32 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers have been distributing forms in Sinhalese language only to Tamil traders in the city of Colombo since Thursday calling for particulars for the purpose of special registration, according to an urgent letter sent by Deputy Minister, P. Rathakrishnan to Prime Minister, R. Wickremanayake, requesting him to instruct SLA to explain as to why such details are being collected from Tamil traders only, sources in Colombo said.

The said forms are distributed only to Tamil traders in places predominantly Tamil areas like Wellawathe, Bampalapitiya, Dehiwela, Armour Street and Grandpass, in the suburbs of Colombo.

The Tamil trading community in the above places has complained to the Deputy Minister that they are unable to provide details to a document in Sinhala only. They further added that they are unaware of the necessity for such registration.

The Tamil community in Colombo is disheartened about this singling out of Tamil traders in the capital when the government claims that peace has been restored in the country.

A fear among the Tamils has risen as this act of targeting Tamil traders by SLA soldiers could be a measure to supply precise details to criminals to be used in abduction, extortion and robbery, civil society sources in Colombo said.

The Tamil traders in Colombo are gripped in fear and tension as they are ignorant of why they have been called to register their particulars again, the sources added.

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