Cordon and search operations by SLA violate CFA - LTTE

[TamilNet, Sunday, 13 July 2003, 10:47 GMT]
The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Sunday lodged a protest with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) against the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) conducting cordon and search operation in civilian areas. "The SLA's action violates the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) signed by the Government of Sri Lanka and the LTTE," said LTTE Trincomalee district political head Mr.S.Thilak in a protest note to the SLMM in east port town, sources said.

LTTE's protest was made Sunday to the Trincomalee SLMM acting Head Mr. Hurt Spur when the Sri Lanka Army launched a massive cordon and search operation in the areas of Pulluthoddam in Manaiyaveli in the Trincomalee town Sunday early morning, sources said.

Army soldiers deployed to conduct the cordon and search operation began stopping all traffic and people movement to and from Pulluthoddam area. Body checks were also conducted on civilian men and women, residents said.

On receipt of the complaint of the LTTE, SLMM monitors in Trincomalee rushed to the scene where the army soldiers were conducting cordon and search operation, sources said.

Emergency Regulations are not in force. Even if a search is done the police have to get court permission to do so. The Ceasefire Agreement clearly bars under Section 212 any search operation by the Sri Lanka Army. Search operation should be done according to the normal law under the Criminal Procedure Code, said a human rights activist.

Meanwhile the Chairman of the Trincomalee District Consortium of Non-governmental organizations Mr.T.Thavasilingam in his report submitted at the meeting of the Eastern Forum of the Humanitarian Agencies held in Trincomalee recently said that checking and arrests have started once again in Trincomalee district. He made an appeal to the law enforcement authorities in his report to deal with any suspect under the police laws and by the police themselves, sources said.