STF orders shops closed in Batticaloa as punishment

[TamilNet, Thursday, 25 May 2006, 22:55 GMT]
"Special Task Force (STF) troopers went around the markets in Arayampathy and Kalavanchikudy areas in Batticaloa district Thursday around 12.30 p.m, assaulting many traders and forcing them to close their shops for five additional days, as punishment for their current two day voluntary shop shut down as a mark of respect for Col. Ramanan, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Deputy Commander of Batticaloa district, who was killed on Sunday" said Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian P. Ariyanenthiran.

Mr. Ariyanenthiran said that he had registered a written complaint of this incident with the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM). The parliamentarian told the SLMM that traders had spontaneously expressed their grief on the loss of Col. Ramanan who was very close to them and the residents in the Batticaloa district, sources said.

Thaya Mohan, the LTTE Batticaloa district Political Head said that he too had registered a complaint with the SLMM and mentioned that their response was as lukewarm.

The STF soldiers who regularly harass and attack Tamils civilians in the Batticaloa district had been infuriated by the successful hartal and the respect shown by local residents to the late Col. Ramanan, sources said..

The SLMM went to Arayampathy and Kalavanchchikudy regional markets following the complaints and subsequently inquired the STF, who denied any wrong doing, said sources in Batticaloa.

The SLMM has asked the traders to resume their usual business activities from Friday, sources said.