People turn against paramilitary groups in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 January 2011, 18:22 GMT]
Batticaloa residents have shown their anger against Karuna, Pillayan paramilitary groups by organizing demonstrations against the factions of the groups, one led by a deputy minister of Rajapaksa-government Muralitharan (Karuna) and the other by Colombo-installed chief minister S. Chandrakanthan (Pillayan). On Tuesday, an spontaneous street-demonstration condemned attacks by Pillayan group on divisional secretary and village officer attached to Ma'nmunaippattu DS office.

The protest witnessed that the public was no longer prepared to tolerate the terror tactics adopted by the paramilitary groups, according to local humanitarian workers.

Easter Provincial Councilor and a paramilitary man, P.Prashanthan attacked the Divisional Secretary of Manmunaipattu division K.Thanabalasingham and a Village Level Officer Suresh and several other officers in the Kaaththaankudi police division on January 16 and 17.

Mr.Thanabalasingham publicly said that he and his officials had been attacked by Pilliayan group operative Prashanthan.

Prashanthan with his men opted to surrender at the Kaaththaankudi police station following the demonstration by the public.

Later five of them had been remanded by the Magistrate till January 24.

However, Prashanthan was released on bail due to the pressure exerted by Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pilliayan, the chief minister of Eastern Province.

The public had also held a demonstration against Pillayan group three months ago when it attacked a private tuition centre, Sun Academy, in Vaazhaichcheanai.

Sri Lankan counter-insurgency intelligence officers operating from Colombo have utilized the groups to target several civilians from the beginning in their war against Tamils in the past.

Later, these paramilitary groups have sought to control the resources reaching the East for their own political mileage and were deployed in sectarian politics by Colombo's political establishment.