SLA detains TNA MP at Omanthai checkpoint

[TamilNet, Saturday, 28 August 2004, 13:23 GMT]
Soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) manning the Omanthai checkpoint in the Vanni region Friday detained Mr.M.K.Eelaventhan, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) national list parliamentarian, and his family members for more than one and a half hours under the pretense of checking his family members' identities, sources said.

Mr.Eelaventhan was stopped by the SLA soldiers at Omanthai on his way to Vanni. He was ordered to get down from his vehicle and to report at the army checkpoint. Mr.Eelaventhan is reported to have told soldiers that they had no right to ask a parliamentarian to report at the checkpoint.

Mr.Eelaventhan furnished in writing all details of those who were travelling with him as requested by the SLA. However, SLA soldiers did not accept Mr.Eelaventhan's statement as it was written in Tamil language, sources said.

Soldiers later allowed Mr.Eelaventhan and his family members to proceed to LTTE held area when the parliamentarian threatened that he would bring the matter to the notice of Sri Lanka's Prime Minister, sources said.