16 Tamil civilians arrested in Wellawatte, Kataragama

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 April 2007, 10:43 GMT]
Three Tamil civilians including two women were arrested Friday morning in a cordon and search operation conducted in Wellawatte in Colombo by security forces. They are now being detained in the Wellawatte police station and subjected to interrogation, sources said. Meanwhile, thirteen plantation Tamils including two women were arrested in Kataragama in the south in a combined cordon and search operation conducted by the Sri Lanka and Police on Wednesday.

Police said the in Wellawatte the three were taken into custody when they failed to prove their identity and the reason for their stay in the locality.

In Kataragama, the plantation Tamils were staying with their relatives residing at Gowthamigama colonisation scheme at the time of arrest. Tamils and Sinhalese families have been residing in the scheme without any differences since the scheme was established, sources said.

Kataragama Police said, the arrested are being detained at the Police station and that the police are investigating the background of the detainees.