SL Army begins registering Tamils in Colombo

[TamilNet, Monday, 22 August 2011, 03:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army soldiers have been engaged in registering Tamil youths of both sexes who are staying Colombo with their relatives and friends and lodges in Colombo city and its suburbs. This has caused fear among Tamils living in the South. But the SLA says that this ethnic and selective registration is a ‘routine affair’ and not an especially implemented assignment, a new kind of explanation aimed at escaping criticism. In Mayoorapathi area in Wellawatte, the SLA personnel even photographed members of each family residing there, civil sources in Colombo said. The sudden registration of Tamils residing in Wellawatte has caused fear that the Rajapaksa government is contemplating to acquire several flats now being occupied by Tamil civilians.

In some instances the SLA has been using Sinhala undergrads to assist them in their operation.

On Friday, last week such registrations took place along Wellawatte-Galle road.

SLA personnel visited every shop, restaurants and business establishments located on the both sides of the highway.

The SLA team collected the names of owners of the establishments and their background.

Tamils staying in houses with their relatives and friends are also photographed by the SLA personnel.

Check points along Galkissa from Colpetty are now operating. SLA personnel manning these points stop all vehicles and check the identity of those travelling.

Meanwhile, amid deployment of hundreds of personnel from the Sri Lanka Army, Sri Lanka Navy and Sri Lanka Air Force day and night in Colombo robberies are taking place in areas where Tamil people live in majority, the sources further said adding that Tamil traders have again come under threats from the SL Defence Establishment.