Investigate youth's death, urge Periyakulam residents

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 January 2000, 15:30 GMT]
Residents of Periyakulam in Trincomalee called for a judicial inquiry into the death of a 17-year-old Tamil youth on January 6. The victim, Alagurajah, was shot dead by Sri Lankan Navy personnel on Friday night, villagers said.

Periyakulam is hamlet in Sampaltivu, 5 km north of Trincomalee town on Uppuveli-Kuchchaveli road.

In a memorandum to Douglas Devananda, the leader of the EPDP, the villagers said that a judicial inquiry into the death of Alagurajah should be held at the earliest possible opportunity.

The youth's body was handed over to his relatives without a judicial inquiry. Only an autopsy was held in the Trincomalee base hospital, sources said.

Meanwhile, Tamil families at Uthayapuri in Trincomalee have complained that additional army check posts are being established in their village. Uthayapuri is already surrounded by a belt of several police stations.

About 80 families were re-settled in this village 3 km. north of the eastern port town, on the Uppuveli-Kuchchaveli road.

In a memorandum to Douglas Devananda, issued through the group's district Organizer for Trincomalee, T.Pushparajah, the families said: "Uthayapuri is in the Uppuveli Police division. Uppuveli Police station is 2 km away from Uthayapuri. Mihindupura police station is situated one and a half km south of Uthayapuri."

It said: "Thuvarankadu police station is situated half a kilometre west of Uthayapuri. In the north, Alles Garden police station is situated three-quarters of a kilometre away from Uthayapuri. 3rd Milepost police station is situated 1 km off east of Uthayapuri."

It added: "Now, army check posts are being established in the village Uthayapuri where eighty Tamil families live."