Protest over transit delays

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 March 1998, 23:59 GMT]
A group of civilians staged a protest fast in front of the Vavuniya Kachcheri this morning from 8 a.m. demanding that the authorities should take steps to immediately send them back to Jaffna.

The group represents more than 2000 Tamil civilians belonging to 716 families who registered themselves at the Kachcheri six months ago to be taken by ship to Jaffna.

All of them have been staying with friends and relatives in the Vavuniya town and its suburbs.

They had a memorandum to hand over to the Vavuniya G.A with copies to the Governor of Northeastern province and the ICRC.

But the GA was not present to receive the memorandum.

Later PLOTE MPs Shanmuganathan and Balachandran, along with Sri Lankan Red Cross Vavuniya branch President Sivanathan Kishore met with the protesters.

Shanmuganathan assured them that he would take steps to launch a bigger protest campaign in which their issue would also be taken up. The protesters then dispersed said Vavuniya Kachcheri sources.