Jaffna HRC releases figures

[TamilNet, Monday, 02 August 1999, 17:12 GMT]
Ten people were reported missing and eight were said to have been arrested by the Sri Lankan security forces in the Jaffna peninsula during the month of July according to the local office of the government-funded Human Rights Commission (HRC).

Six of the missing persons have been traced but nothing is known about the other four according to the HRC report.

The Sri Lanka Army has told Mr. Sritharan, the Jaffna district coordinator of the HRC, that the four missing persons are not in their custody.

The people who were traced are:


1.Gabriel Serrington, 26, of Kandarmadam.
2.Ponnampalam Ragunathan ,17, of Point Pedro.
3.Balakrishnan Vijiharan ,19, of Vaddukoddai.
4.Kulasingham Kalyanai,15.
5.Kanakalingam of Navatkuli


6.Veluppillai Murugananthan ,17, of Idaikuricchi in Varani, Vadamaradchi

Gabriel Serrington was caught by local civilians while trying to break open a temple till and was handed over to the Sri Lankan Police at Kopay.

His family had reported him missing before coming to know that he was in Police custody for attempted robbery.

Ponnampalam Ragunathan was arrested by the SLA while attempting to cross the Kilaly lagoon and was later released.

Balakrishnan Vijiharan was reported missing by his parents who had not been aware that he was visiting relatives at Vidathalpalai in the Thenmaradchi division of Jaffna.

Kulasingham Kalyanai, who had eloped with her lover, Kanakalingam of Navatkuli was arrested by the SLA and had been released later.

Veluppillai Murugananthan's parents have informed the Jaffna HRC that he has run off to the Vanni.

The persons still missing are:


1.Arumugam Paramasivam,18, of Madduvil.
2.Rasathurai Rajanikanth,21, of Kodikamam.
3.Nagenthiran Thileepan,14, of Nunavil.
4.Sathasivam Sivanandarajan,19, of Varani.

Meanwhile, a boat that set out from Pallikudah, a coastal village on the western coast of the Vanni, on July 30, bound for Gurunagar in Jaffna may have capsized in mid sea according to an eyewitness.

S. Sabesan , 26, of Mallakam in Jaffna, who was also coming from Pallikuda in another boat said that around midnight he saw 6 people struggling in the water near a capsized boat and that they were shouting for help.

Sabesan is now at the Gurunagar welfare camp in Jaffna town. The ICRC in Jaffna has contacted its delegation in Mallavi about the matter.