Six civilians disappear in Jaffna last week

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 December 2006, 16:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and collaborating paramilitaries have abducted six civilians in the Jaffna district between 24th December, and 30th December according to complaints filed at the Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC), civil society sources in Jaffna said. The disappearances and arrests in Jaffna have escalated to alarming proportions in the last few months as part of the counter-insurgency campaign mounted by Colombo on the civilian population in the district, according to rights officials in Jaffna.

Details of the disappeared follow:

• Annamalai Anbarasan, 30, a civilian from Valvettiturai disappeared on his way to Jaffna town from his home on 24th morning.
• Kandasamy Sundararasa, 39, and Vettivelu Jeyapalan, 42, two civilians from Thunnalai in Vadamaradchy, disappeared while they were riding to Kodikamam on a business errand on 26th December, their relatives said in a complaint at the HRC.
• Rasu Sangeethan, 19, a student from Karampan in Jaffna Islets of Kayts, disappeared after he left his house on the 27th afternoon towards Kayts town to buy provisions, his parents said in a complaint at the HRC.
• Sothilingam Janarthan, 23, disppeared Friday (29th December) after he left his home located in Kasturiar Road to Jaffna Town in a bicycle on personal errand, sources said. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers had arrived at his house on Kasturiar Road Saturday morning and had searched his house, his parents said.
• Armed paramilitaries arrived in a white van at 23-year old Perumal Prasanth's house in Nachimar Kovilady in Jaffna at 2:00 a.m. Saturday and has forcibly taken Prasanth in the van.

In the five days between 20th and 25th December, Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers and collaborating paramilitaries have abducted eight youths, including two students, in Jaffna according to complaints registered at the HRC in Jaffna.

Chronology: