Mother's grief compounded by red tape

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 April 1998, 23:59 GMT]
Kamaldevi (28), from Parappankandal, a village in Wanni which is under Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) control, was denied even the sombre consoloation of seeing to her infant daughter's funeral rites, because she did not possess a valid travel pass entitling her to stay overnight in Anurdhapura Hospital, said sources in Vavuniya.

The child, Chandravathani (6 months) was admitted to Vavuniya hospital last Thursday suffering from severe vomiting. On Monday, Chandravathani was transferred by ambulance to Anuradhapura Hospital, but died soon after being admitted there.

Kamaladevi, however, was not even given a chance to identify the child for the death certificate to be made out.

This was because she had to return to Vavuniya as she was not in possession of the travel pass issued to residents coming south of Vavuniya from the areas coming under LTTE control.

Despite her pleas, she was bundled into the ambulance which was returning to Vavuniya and asked to come back to Anurdhapura on Tuesday to see about her daughter's funeral arrangements.

Returning to Vavuniya, Kamaladevi went to the Goodshed Transit Camp where the police issue passes to those traveling south from the areas coming under LTTE control.

But the authorities there refused to give her a pass to return to Anuradhapura because she did not possess proof that her daughter was dead.

All her pleading and tears were futile.

Finally, she was directed to report to the Brown Police Post in Vavuniya.

But there she was told that the police post had no authority to issue travel passes to the south.

Instead she was given a pass to return to her village - Parappankandal -in the LTTE controlled area.