2ND LEAD (Correction)

SL military, police suppress traces of officer involved in fatal accident

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 June 2019, 19:02 GMT]
The occupying Sinhala military and the police are trying to suppress photographic traces of a fatal accident as well as exerting pressure on the family of the 67-year-old victim who was killed on the spot in the accident caused by the speeding vehicle, which was driven by an officer-rank SL Army person. The accident took place in front of Nedungkea'ni Maha Viththiyaalayam school on Sunday around 7:00 pm in Vavuniyaa North. The driving officer was wearing a green military uniform, eyewitnesses said. The victim, Kanapathippillay Perampalam, was on his way to buy short eats for his grandchildren. He was on a bicycle.

Immediately after the speeding vehicle had hit the bicycle, killing the father of four, SLA soldiers arrived at the spot and removed the number plate from the car. The Sinhala soldiers were also blocking the Tamil travellers on the road from taking photos of the venue.

Currently, the SL military also has the rights to perform police duties due to the island-wide Emergency Regulations that are in force. Thus, it was blocking the civilians in the area from gathering at the site.

The SL Police claimed that the military person driving the vehicle had been remanded for 14 days. However, there was no independent verification of their claim.

The vehicle is often seen in Keappaa-pulavu area and is used by high-ranking military commanders.

In the meantime, the SL military was also harassing the family of the victim. It offered money to conduct the funeral in an apparent move to discourage the family from demanding justice to the crime.

However, the family has refused to accept such monetary assistance, legal sources in Vavuniyaa said.

The SL soldiers were present at the funeral held at Cheanaip-pulavu on Tuesday.

The occupying Sinhala military in the North and East does not subject its vehicles for periodical controls. The courts in the North and East have already condemned the lack of control routines for military vehicles in the island to comply with safety and environmental concerns.

Road accidents caused by the predominant Sinhala military and the drivers from South transporting illegally scooped sand in the North and East have claimed the lives of several Tamil civilians after 2009.



Chronology: