Driver, schoolboy missing in Mannar

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 June 2001, 02:04 GMT]
The Mannar Citizens’ Committee Monday received four complaints about two disappearances and two arrests. Arumugam Thevarajah, 40, a driver who went to the Sri Lanka Army's pass office in Mannar town on 18 June to obtain a temporary resident permit to stay in the suburb of Panankattikottu, did not return home and is missing since then, according to a complaint lodged by his sister Kanapathipillai Thevanayagi. A fifteen-year-old student in Mannar has also been reported missing since 13 June. Relatives who fear that he might have been arrested and detained have sought the Citizens’ Committee’s assistance to trace him.

The driver, according to his sister, had come to Mannar town from Mallavi in Tiger controlled Vanni region on 15 June. Persons who come from the LTTE controlled Vanni region through the Piramanaalankulam civilian crossing point are issued a three day temporary residence permit by the Sri Lanka army. The permit is valid in for stay in the SLA controlled parts of the Vavuniya and Mannar districts. The driver had gone to the SLA pass office in Mannar town after the expiration of the Piramanaalankulam permit to obtain a new temporary residence pass from the SLA.

Meanwhile, grandmother has complained to the Citizens’ Committee that her 15 year-old grandson Sivasubramaniam Kumanan, a student of Mannar Sithivinayagar Hindu College, has gone missing since 13 June. The boy’s whereabouts is not known so far. Relatives said that he might have been arrested.

Relatives also informed the Citizens’ Committee about the arrest and detention of Kandiah Kulasegaram (25) of Pallimunai and Vasuthevan Mathijeevan (31) of Mannar.

Kulasegaram was arrested by the Army on 24 June at Savakattu junction in

Mannar, according to his wife Phillipu Silva Rita.

Vasuthevan Mathijeevan of Mannar was arrested and detained by the Police on 16 June while driving his lorry to Colombo at Munthal in the Puttalam district. His lorry was also seized, according to the complaint of his wife Shanthi.