SLA cordon, search Erlalai, beat bakery owner
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 08 March 2006, 12:02 GMT]
More than five hundred Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops with a few paramilitary cadres arrived in several heavy military vehicles and eight Buffel armored vehicles, cordoned off, and searched residences in Erlalai South, Kalavodai Amman Temple areas at 3.30 a.m. Wednesday morning, sources in Jaffna said. The SLA soldiers, at 6 a.m., entered the house of a 30 year old civilian who owns a bakery, beat him and left after ransacking his business premises, sources added.
Residents said that the soldiers wore black masks in contravention to the assurances given to the Jaffna magistrate recently. A Gramasevaka was not present during the search, further violating an agreement made with civil society members. The bakery owner was directed in Tamil to appear at the Urelu SLA camp to see a paramilitary cadre, Suresh, sources said. Residents of Erlalai said that a paramilitary cadre named Suresh operating from the Urelu SLA camp is believed to be responsible for the disappearances of many civilians in Erlalai area. The bakery owner has registered a complaint with the Jaffna Human Rights Commission Wednesday, asking for additional protection, sources said.
|