SLA assaults Jaffna journalist

[TamilNet, Sunday, 24 September 2000, 12:54 GMT]
A journalist working for the Jaffna daily, Valampuri, was beaten up by Sri Lanka army soldiers Saturday evening near the scene of a fire in a paint shop in Nelliyadi town. More than fifteen civilians were also assaulted by the soldiers. The journalist, Velupillai Thavachelvam, said that he went to see the burning shop with the permission of the Police.

The paint shop near the main bus stand in the Nelliyadi town had caught fire due to a short circuit around 5.30 p.m saturday. SLA soldiers who had rushed to the scene on information about the fire had assaulted civilians because they (the soldiers) had apparently assumed, according to Nelliyadi Police sources, that it had been caused by 'disruptive elements' in the town.

Nelliyadi Police said that the SLA had no business to come to the scene of the fire or beat up civilians.

The Valampuri journalist, Thavachelvam, lodged a complaint with the Nelliyadi Police about the assault this morning.