SLA abduction of Kokuvil student averted

[TamilNet, Thursday, 02 February 2006, 12:35 GMT]
Members of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) in Jaffna, Thursday morning were successful in forcing the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers from the 51-2 brigade in Jaffna to handover a student from Kokuvil who was illegally abducted while he was travelling with his sister in a motorbike along the Jaffna-Point Pedro Road near Jaffna town, sources in Jaffna said.

Pedestrians who saw the abduction of the youth by SLA soldiers from the Gnanam-Subash camp informed the Grama Sevaka who notified the HRC officials of the incident. HRC officials arrived at the 51-2 brigade Head Quarters to meet the SLA commanders and was able to locate the said youth hidden inside a sentry point inside at the perimeter of the camp.

SLA officials said the youth was arrested for not having in his possession, documents for the motorbike including his license. When HRC members pointed out that SLA is not authorized to arrest anyone for traffic violations, the SLA officials agreed to hand over the youth to the Jaffna Police in the presence of the HRC officials.

Jaffna Police has assured the HRC that they will release the youth after taking the youth through proper judicial procedures for document violations.

The youth is unemployed after passing GCE(OL). Both the youth and his sister were video-taped by the SLA before the abduction and his sister was released before the HRC officials arrived at the scene, sources said.