SLA Sinha regiment extorts money from Tamils in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 June 2019, 08:37 GMT]
The Sinhala soldiers of the occupying SL Army’s Sinha Regiment in Batticaloa are extorting money in large scale across the 14 administrative divisions of the district under cover of selling lottery tickets. Armed soldiers in military uniform are forcing the Tamil travellers on the road, particularly near the camps in Paduvaan-karai region, forcing people to hand over everything they have in cash in their possession in exchange for a sweep ticket, priced at one hundred rupees. The sweep ticket is being forcibly sold in connection with ‘Sinha Mela’, which is a mega carnival intended to raise funds for the ‘serving officers and men, disabled soldiers and their families of the Sinha Regiment.



The SLA soldiers using the extreme powers provided by the Emergency Regulation are behaving in a threatening manner against those who are reluctant to buy the tickets.

The soldiers at Tharavai base have been particularly violent in ‘selling’ the tickets.

The affected people said they felt like paying tax to the occupying Sinha Regiment.

The Sinha regiment is organising the annual ‘Sinha Mela’ for the third consecutive time this year.