STF resumes checks at Batticaloa ferry points

[TamilNet, Thursday, 03 July 2003, 00:11 GMT]
Special Task Force (STF) soldiers, Wednesday, resumed checking of bags and goods carried by the passengers at Mandoor and Ambilanthurai ferry points in the Batticaloa lagoon on the side controlled by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), security sources said.

Mandoor is located 32km southwest of Batticaloa town and Ambilanthurai is located 13km south of Batticaloa.

Batticaloa residents living in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled side of the lagoon depend on the ferry services to enter the SLA controlled area to buy provisions and other merchandize. The STF soldiers had checkpoints at the ferry embarkation, disembarkation points, after the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) was signed the practice of checking and generally harassing the passengers ceased. Passengers freely travelled between LTTE- and SLA-controlled parts of the lagoon until Wednesday.

Sudden appearance of checkpoints has caused concern among residents who frequently use the ferry service, sources said.