Karainagar IDPs complain of harassment by SLN soldiers

[TamilNet, Saturday, 30 August 2003, 14:13 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) has tightened check on internally displaced people who return to resettle in Karainagar village in Jaffna district. The Sri Lanka Navy soldiers manning the entry point of Karainagar subject the the newly returning IDPs to body checks and extensive questioning, civil group sources said.

About ten IDP families who came Saturday from Vanni region for resettlement were asked by the SLN soldiers to register them with the SLN checkpoint before entering Karainagar. These families came from Vanni with necessary required documents obtained from government village level officers (Grama Sevaka Niladharis) and the Government Agent, sources said.

People who travel by Valanthalai road to Karainagar are subjected to body check by the SLN soldiers before they are allowed to enter the village, civil sources said.

The IDPs have brought this harassment to the notice of the Jaffna district parliamentarians and Minister Mr. T.Maheswaran for necessary action, sources said.