More civilians cross Mannar sea to reach Jaffna

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 26 September 2006, 18:48 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) arrested a group of 49 Jaffna residents for crossing Mannar sea illegally in 7 hired boats to reach Delft islet Tueesday, sources in Jaffna said. The Delft police produced the arrested before Kayts Acting Magistrate Mr. R. K. Vignarajah on Tuesday where the magistrate ordered the 14 boat operators from Mannar to be held in remand prison until October 10. The passengers were taken to the Jaffna Central bus stand and allowed to their villages, said legal sources in Jaffna.

Four boat operators from Mannar who brought a group of 52 people on 24 September are being held in Jaffna remand prison until 5 October.

A9 highway, the only land route to Jaffna peninsula has been closed by the Sri Lanka government since 11 August. Jaffna residents trapped in Vavuniya, Mannar and other places have sought risky sea voyage along Mannar sea to reach their homes.