Former SLRC employee in Vanni complains of death threat to HRC Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 17 April 2010, 10:12 GMT]
An employee of Sri Lanka Red Cross who had served in Vanni during the last stages of war and now living in Ma’nkumpaan in the islets of Jaffna has lodged a complaint with Jaffna Human Rights Commission (HRC) office of intimidation and death threats by armed men alleged to be ruling party ally Eelam People’s Democratic Party (EPDP) persons who operate with Sri Lanka Intelligence division. The armed men come to his place in the nights and intimidate him with threats of abduction and death, the employee said in his complaint.

The person threatened to death is Panchadcharam Thanarangan, 19, uprooted from Vanni, living with his family at his friend’s house in Ma’nkumpaan in Oorkaavattu’rai in the islets of Jaffna.

Thanarangan had served in SLRC in Vanni tending to the injured civilians during the war and had then been held in one of the detention centres in Vavuniyaa.

On being released he had sought refuge with his friend in Ma’nkumpaan in the islets of Jaffna which is in the absolute control of Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) and a strong bastion of EPDP men.

Thanarangan who had appealed to the HRC to save his life had also registered complaint with Jaffna SLRC office.