Abductions in Vavuniya

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 15 March 2000, 20:38 GMT]
A young woman and a youth have reportedly been abducted by unidentified men in a white van in the northern town of Vavuniya, Human Rights Commission (HRC) officials said.

Ponnaiah Sureshini, 24, of Marukaarampalai junction on the Vavuniya-Mannar road was abducted at Pandaarikulam, while she was on her way to the village administrative office. Her relatives have complained to the HRC and the PLOTE office in Vavuniya.

Kalimuththu Kovintharajah, 25, was abducted from his house in Vepankulam, by a group of armed personnel who came in a white van HRC sources said.

According to a complaint made by his relatives, the abductors, 3 men and 3 women, came in a white van and took away Kovintharajah around 9 p.m. Tuesday. The men were in civvies and women were in military fatigues HRC sources said.

Also in Vavuniya, two displaced persons living in Welfare Centre at Sasthirikulankulam, were arrested by unidentified men in military uniform.

Tharmarasa Rathika, 16, and Ponnusamy Sivarasa, 20, were arrested yesterday, HRC sources said.

Sri Lanka Army and Police in Vavuniya have said they were unaware of the arrests, HRC official said.

Meanwhile police said all travellers from Vavuniya to the south of the island will be registered at Iratperiyakulam. According to the police, travellers details such as name, permanent address, their destination, purpose of their visit, duration of stay, and their visiting address, will be registered.

The police have been registering the details of those who travel by train to south. But such register is not maintained for those travel by road, through Iratperiyakulam, about 7 km. south of Vavuniya.