TRO worker abducted in Valaichchenai

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 July 2006, 08:05 GMT]
Krishnapillai Kamalanathan, an official of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) was abducted by members of the Karuna paramilitary group at Valaichchenai, about 30 km. north of Batticaloa, around 10.30 a.m., Sunday. Krishnapillai has been working as a child protection officer of the TRO, Vakarai division.

Krishnapillai was riding motorbike in Valaichchenai while he was abducted by the Karuna group paramilitaries, TRO sources said.

Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Batticaloa has been informed about the abduction, according to the sources said.

Full text of the press release issued by the Colombo TRO office follows:

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

1 July 2006

Regarding: Abduction of TRO Children’s Home Director Mr. Krishnapillai Kamalanathan

Abducted person:
Mr. Krishnapillai Kamalanathan
NIC 81335143
Date of Birth: 29/11/81
Occupation: Director of Sonobo Children’s Home – Vaharai

At approximately 10:20 AM, 1 July 2006 Mr. Krishnapillai Kamalanathan, the Director of TRO’s Sonobo Children’s Home, and Mr. Thevarajah Nageshwaran were stopped at the Oddumavadi Bridge Police (Government of Sri Lanka) Checkpoint. The two men were traveling on a motorcycle.

They were stopped at the checkpoint and checked by the Police. The police then received a phone call and held the two men until a man in “civilian clothes” who stated he was from the “Karuna Group” arrived and told the police that he would take Mr. Krishnapillai Kamalanathan away with him. Mr. Thevarajah Nageshwaran was released and allowed to proceed on the motorcycle.

Mr. Kamalanathan has not been heard of since.

Mr. Kamalanathan is married and his wife is pregnant with their first child. He is the Director of TRO’s Sonobo Children’s Home in Vaharai which cares for 48 girls and 43 boys who were orphaned by the war or tsunami. The home receives financial support from the Denmark Sonobo Children’s Home Society and the London Youth Society.

A Police report has been made and TRO has requested the SLMM, ICRC and the government of Sri Lanka to fully investigate this incident and to ensure the safe release of Mr. Kamalanathan.