Home Guards on the rampage in Serunuwara

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 21 November 2001, 20:16 GMT]
Three houses belonging to Tamil villagers were burnt down and several civilians were severely assaulted by Police Security Assistants (PSAs or 'Home Guards') in LB 3 Channel area in Serunuwara division, in the Trincomalee District Tuesday night. Bicycles and motorcycles were also damaged by the PSAs, sources said.

The Home Guards were retaliating to an attack by the Liberation Tigers Tuesday in which a soldier was killed and another wounded.

Meanwhile, 40 Tamil villagers who had sought refuge in the 'Murugan' Temple in the LB 3 Channel area, were arrested by Sri Lanka Army soldiers Tuesday. They were released Wednesday.

Tamil National Alliance main candidate for the Trincomalee district Mr.R.Sampanthan, who visited the village Wednesday morning, said many of those arrested had been tortured in custody.

Mr.Sampanthan is on a three-day electioneering in Tamil villages in Mutur division.

Mr.Sampanthan told TamilNet sources that he saw the burnt houses and talked to the civilians who had been arrested by the SLA soldiers. "I saw injuries on the bodies of the released Tamils. I am told that they had been subjected to severe assaults."