'Manipay incident will not be repeated-' Jaffna SLA commander

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 12 February 2003, 17:41 GMT]
Jaffna area commander of the Sri Lanka Army, Major General Sarath Fonseka assured at the conference summoned by the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Jaffna Wednesday evening that he would take appropriate steps not to repeat incidents that had taken place at Manipay Wednesday morning in which SLA soldiers assaulted eight LTTE women cadres with knives, sources said.

Heated arguments ensued between the SLA and the LTTE officials at the conference conducted at the SLMM office in Jaffna.

The LTTE Jaffna political leaders produced samples of the waist-belts being used by their women cadres.

Major General Sarath Fonseka said he has no objection in using waist-belts which were produced at the conference, sources said. He was accompanied by senior security officials of the SLA.

LTTE's Jaffna district political head Mr.Ilamparuthi, Mr. Semmanan, acting political head, and political activists Mr.Amuthan and Mr. Nishanthan participated on behalf of the LTTE.

The meeting concluded around 6.45 p.m. after three hours of discussion over the Manipay incidents.

Soon after the SLMM conference was concluded Major General Sarath Fonseka was seen having discussions outside the SLMM office with Brigade commanders who had come to the spot in more than fifteen vehicles, sources said.

EPDP members were also observed among the SLA soldiers who attacked the LTTE women cadres and the civilians, informed sources in Manipay.

The attack does not only demonstrate a ceasefire violation, it is a violation of human rights and a violation of womens' right, told Mr. Ilamparuthy while speaking to the Tamil media.

The eight injured women have been sent to LTTE's hospital in Wanni region, sources said.