Jaffna Rights Group records 379 disappearances

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 October 2006, 14:01 GMT]
379 cases of disappearance of young men and women have been registered at the offices of the Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC) from December 2005 until now, officials at the HRC said Saturday. The number represents only the disappearances where there are no details of the youths available, and does not include those who were released, or who were killed and their bodies recovered later, sources said.

The number includes 68 disappearences in August, 54 in September, and 30 in October, according to HRC officials.

Meanwhile, Investigating officer at HRC, Mr. Sivendrarajah, and Rights Attorney, Mr. Remedius who visited the KKS detention camp Saturday were told that eight youths who were held in detention at the facility under suspicion of having links with Liberation Tigers, have been flown to Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) in Colombo for further interrogation, HRC officials said.

President of Students Consortium in Jaffna University, Mr. Paheerathan, who was arrested earlier during a roundup at the Jaffna campus, and a young woman who was alleged to have attempted to take cyanide by the SLA and arrested in Valikamam East Vaharavathai area, were two of the eight taken to TID Colombo, HRC attorney said.

The Sri Lanka Army officials failed to notify the HRC, as earlier agreed by the Security Forces, before the youths were taken to Colombo, HRC attorney charged.

Meanwhile, Thiyagarajah Sajinthan, a field officer attached to NGO Non Violent Democrative Activities Group (NVDAG), who disappeared after being interrogated by the Sri Lankan Army (SLA) in Chemmani Wednesday, was released by the SLA, HRC officials said. Sajinthan declined to reveal details of his abductors but said that he had returned home safely, HRC officials added.

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