LTTE, TNA discuss Vavuniya violence with SLMM
[TamilNet, Sunday, 26 March 2006, 13:01 GMT]
Head of Vavuniya LTTE Political Wing, Mr Gnanam, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarians, and several Vavuniya civil society representatives held discussions with members of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) on escalating violence in Vavuniya targetted against businesspersons, at the LTTE political office in Puliyankulam at 10.30 a.m. Saturday, sources from Vavuniya said.
Vanni district parliamentarians, Sivanathan Kishor, Selvam Adaikalanathan, Sivasakthi Ananthan and Vino Noharathalingam participated in the discussions. Mr Gnanam told the SLMM that violence against traders by paramilitaries operating with the help of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) will create a serious impediment to peace and that proper steps should be taken to stop the violence urgently. He added that the business activity in Vavuniya will be badly affected if this situation is allowed to continue. Mr Kishor expressed concern that the SLMM members have not visited the site in Sasthrikulankulam where Vavuniya trader Mr Murugesu was killed for more than 12 hours after the killing Friday night. Mr Kishor said that he had received information from eye witnesses and local residents that paramilitaries who are involved in demanding extortions from traders are operating from Mundrumurippu and the high security zone in Omanthai with the collaboration of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and that investigations should be initiated to verify the veracity of these allegations. Mr Adaikalanathan said that the civil society is organizing a hartal in Vavuniya on Tuesday and Wednesday protesting against the violence in Vavuniya. All businesses except hospitals will be closed during these two days, the MP said. He added the protests will continue inside the parliament by TNA MPs and outside the parliament by Vavuniya trading community until the Sri Lanka Government brings the violence to an end Meanwhile, legal sources in Vavuniya said, following complaints by residents of Sasthrikoolankulam of alleged Sri Lanka Army (SLA) involvement in the killing of a merchant on Friday, the Vavuniya District Court Judge Mr Ilancheliyan has ordered the Commanding Officers of Kalmadu, Pampaimadu and Thandikulam army camps to appear in courts on Monday.
|