Camp residents disappear

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 February 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Two young men from the College of Education Transit Camp, Vavuniya are missing from January 23, say their relatives who have been looking for them in Vavuniya. Subramaniam Tharmapalasingham and Kathirkamaththamby Senthilnathan, both inmates of the camp, were picked up by unidentified persons suspected to be of the Sri Lanka Security Forces.

The relatives of the two persons sought assistance from V.Balachandran Democratic Peoples' Liberation Front MP for Vavuniya to trace them.

The security forces and police camps in the area, however, denied any knowledge of the two men when contacted by the MP, said sources.

Mannar town was cordoned off and searched by the police last night, said sources in Vavuniya. Twelve persons were arrested and detained .

This morning, the Sri Lankan army and Police cordoned off and searched Thonikkal, Pandaarikulam and Veppankulam, which are suburbs of Vavuniya town, from early this morning until noon. No one was arrested.