SLMM collects information on Rights violations in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 September 2007, 00:30 GMT]
Officials of Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) visited Human Rights Commission (HRC) Jaffna office Wednesday to obtain details of human rights violation in the Jaffna peninsula, HRC sources said. The SLMM officials also visited offices of International and Local NGOs, and media and Volunteer Organizations learning first hand of the rights violations escalating at a rapid rate in the peninsula.

SLMM officials concentrated on information related to civilians seeking protection with the HRC, killings, death threats, abductions, extortion, intimidation, and forced disappearances alleged to be carried out by Tamil armed paramilitary men backed by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) while collecting statistics, civil society sources in Jaffna said.

The HRC officials had already carried out detailed studies of the situation concerning journalists, visiting many media offices including Thinakkural, a popular Tamil daily in the peninsula, where the editors have confined their activities to the office only.

HRC officials also pointed out to the SLMM officials the difficulty they face in accommodating the increasing number of persons seeking protection, due to the limited space in Jaffna Prison.