Six civilians disappear in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 March 2007, 09:23 GMT]
Abductions and disappearances of Tamil persons in Jaffna district by members of Sri Lankan armed forces and allied paramilitaries are continuing unabated amid accusations by the international community at the 4th Session of the United Nations Human Rights Council held in Geneva for Sri Lanka's human rights violations against their citizens, civil society sources in Jaffna said. Within 36 hours from Tuesday morning to Wednesday evening, six complaints of abductions were lodged at the Jaffna branch of the Human Rights Commission (HRC).

Two members of the Socialist Equality Party, Nadaraja Nimaleswaran, 27, of Division No 8, Velanai in the Jaffna Islets, and his friend, Yuganathan Mathivathanan, 23, dissappeared on 22 March their way to Punkuduthivu.

A person from Division No 7, Velanai, Kopalappillai Ilankumaran, 25, who was on his way to his mother in law's house in Nunavil, Chavakachcheri, also have been reported missing.

A young businessman from Navalar Road, Jaffna who traveled along the Nallur- Arasadi road on Tuesday and was seen being interrogated by soldiers manning the SLA checkpoint, has disappeared. The relatives of Ladsumanan Nishanthan, 23, lodged complaint at the HRC about his disappearance and said that the van he traveled was found abandoned 1 km away from the checkpoint.

All the above four complaints were lodged on Tuesday.

In the meantime, two more complaints were lodged on Wednesday.

Sinnaththurai Rajendra, 34, of Ilanthaikkulam road, Kolumbuththurai who went to Jaffna city on 25 March, was reported missing.

Another young boy from Bharathy road, Chankanai East, who went to buy provisions, also disappeared on 3 March his relatives lodged complaint at the HRC office. The disappeared boy is identified as Gunasegaram Kunaharan, 19.

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