TNA accuses Security forces of killing Tamil youth in Trinco

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 January 2006, 15:53 GMT]
The Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Tuesday charged that the State armed forces have killed five Tamil youths in Trincomalee town and injured two others. "The five youths killed came by their death as a result of gunshot injuries. The terror of the State's armed forces has been unleashed against the Tamil people. It would be futile for the State to think that the Tamil people can be suppressed in this way," TNA said in its press release issued Tuesday.

The full text of the press release follows:

Five innocent Tamil youth have been deliberately shot and killed in cold blood by security forces around 7.45 p.m. on 2nd January 2006 on the road close to the beach abutting Dockyard Road and the road leading to Fort Frederick at Trincomalee. Two other innocent Tamil youths sustained serious injuries at the same time and place caused by a grenade explosion.

The Tamil youths killed are: (1) Thangathurai Sivanantha (Engineering student-Moratuwa University (2) Logithasan Rohanth (3) Shanmugarajah Sajeenthiran (4) Manoharan Rajeehar and (5) Yogarajah Hemachandran. Youth 2 to 5 have completed their GCE (Advanced Level) examination and were awaiting either admission to university or employment. The two Tamil youths grievously injured are Pararajasingham Kokilaraj who has completed the GCE A/L examination and Yogarajah Pookulanlon who has been admitted to the Engineering Faculty.

It is customary for people to assemble at the beach or close to the beach in the evenings. These youths were together engaged in a conversation and enjoying the fresh air.

From a three-wheeler which went past them a grenade was thrown causing an explosion and injuries to the youths. Following the grenade explosion an armed services vehicle arrived at the spot, from which armed services personnel alighted. The five youth who have been killed were severely assaulted, and though initially they were put into the vehicle, they were later pushed out of the vehicle and shot. Three of them sustained gunshot injuries on the head, while the other two sustained gunshot injuries to the abdomen and chest. The five youth killed came by their death as a result of gunshot injuries.

The armed services vehicle left the scene immediately thereafter. Civilians were prevented by other armed services personnel on duty from going to the scene. It was after some considerable delay that the dead bodies and in the injured persons were taken to the General Hospital, Trincomalee.

This has been a brutal and unwarranted attack on innocent Tamil youth, all of whom have been engaged in higher studies. The terror of the State's armed forces has been unleashed against the Tamil people. It would be futile for the State to think that the Tamil people can be suppressed in this way.

The Ilankai Thamil Arasu Kadchchi (The Tamil National Alliance) strongly condemns this cowardly and despicable act

We call upon the President and the government to immediately have the offenders arrested and brought to justice.

The armed forces have been authorized according to reports to open fire against any one who attacks them. In this instance, no one carried out any attack against the armed forces. There is nothing to suggest that such an attack was carried out against the armed forces. The armed forces carried out a deliberate attack against innocent civilians and fled the scene.

We call upon the President and the Government to take immediate action to prevent innocent Tamil civilians being terrorized by the armed forces in this manner.

The death of these five innocent educated Tamil youth and the grievous injuries caused to two others, would indeed be a great loss to their families. Parents with children of about the same age should be able to realize how immense such a loss would be to their respective families.

We extend our very sincere and deep felt sympathies to these families.

Sgd: R.Sampanthan