Two more suspects identified in Mirusivil

[TamilNet, Thursday, 04 January 2001, 12:27 GMT]
Two more Sri Lanka Army soldiers (SLA) accused of murdering eight Tamil civilians, including a 5-year old boy, at Mirusuvil on 19 December were identified by the prime witness, Ponnuthurai Maheswaran, during an identification parade held Thursday. Three SLA soldiers, including an officer, were identified by the witness on Wednesday.

Thirteen government troops including two officers have been arrested in connection with the massacre. Seven of them appeared for the identification parade on Wednesday and six on Thursday.

The soldiers identified by the witness on Thursday are; Corporal.Gamini Moonesinghe and Pushpa Samankumara.

The soldiers were produced at Chavakachcheri District Court, functioning at Thampasiddy in Pt.Pedro.

Meanwhile Mavai Senathirajah, MP for Jaffna District has appealed to the Sri Lankan President Chandrika Kumaratunge to conduct an impartial investigation into the Mirusuvil massacre.

In a separate incident, a young man from Kodikamam, in the Thenmaradchi sector of the northern Jaffna peninsula has been reported 'missing' by his relatives. Thambu Kirubakaran, 32, who was displaced from Kodikamam was living in Kokuvil near Jaffna town.

He went to collect fire-wood in the Kodikamam area on 24 December and had not returned, according to the relatives. They said they had searched for him at several SLA camps and police stations and have not been able trace his where-about. Kodikamam is about 3 km. west of Mirusuvil.