CAFFE says east situation deteriorating

[TamilNet, Thursday, 08 May 2008, 00:11 GMT]
Campaign for Free and Fair Election (CAFFE) said at press briefing held Tuesday that it has received complaints that Pillaiyan armed group has been threatening Tamils to vote only for their candidates, and CAFFE feels that the opportunity for a free and fair election in the east, especially in Batticaloa district is very dim, the Head of CAFFE executive committee, Attorney-at-Law Shiral Lakthilakie, was quoted as saying by media sources.

He added that CAFFE monitors have noted the deterioration of human right situation in Batticaloa.

Tamil people in the districts of Batticaloa and Ampaarai have been living in fear of intimidation and threat. Police are also not entertaining complaints of election related violence by the armed group contesting the election. We have decided to take legal action to take safeguard the democratic right of every citizen even after the election is over, Lakthilakie said.

Attorney-at-Law Nimalka Fernando said CAFFE would deploy about five hundred monitors in the east on the polling day.

She added that displaced families sheltered in welfare centres are being forcibly taken to election meetings organized by armed groups.