Red Cross concerned at children's plight

[TamilNet, Sunday, 18 April 1999, 10:42 GMT]
Sri Lanka Red Cross officials in Vavuniya have appealed to Senior Police officials in the area to consider the plight of 4 children who have been left alone after their parents were arrested by the security forces on Friday.

Kandasamy and his wife Rajakumari, a school teacher, were arrested by the security forces for alleged involvement with a suspected LTTE member in the army controlled area of Vavuniya.

Rajakumari was taken by the Counter Subversive Unit (CSU) of Vavuniya Police with her 14 months old baby, while their 4 other male children, between the ages of 11 and 6, were left with neighbours to be looked after until the following day, SLRC sources said.

But the neighbours have complained to the SLRC that the children are not eating but crying all day and they are unable to keep them.

Sivanathan Kishore, the secretary to Vavuniya branch of the SLRC said that he had appealed to the Senior Superintendent of Police, who is in charge of operations in the area to approach this case on humanitarian grounds.

He said that this matter has also been brought to the notice of the Government Agent in the area.