Two men abducted in Kokuvil, 3 youths surrender to HRC

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 21 November 2006, 01:25 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers abducted a middle-aged man from his house in Potpathy Road in Kokuvil at 1:00 a.m. Monday, while unidentified armed men abducted another man from his residence in Kondavil West Jaffna Sunday midnight, civil sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, 3 youths surrendered to the Human Rights Commission offices fear for their lives from the SLA and collaborating paramilitaries, and several other youths are expected to surrender Tuesday, sources in Jaffna said.

Sivaratnam Narendran, 37, of Kokuvil was forcefully taken from his home in Kokuvil by SLA troopers according to a complaint filed by his wife at the offices of the Jaffna Human Rights Commission.

The victim in Kondavil abduction has been identified as Shanmugarasa Sasiharan, 34, of Kondavil West, sources said.

Meanwhile, three youths surrendered at the Jaffna HRC Monday morning and ten additional youths are expected to surrender at the HRC on Tuesday, civil society sources said.

"Youths threatened to death by the SLA and paramilitary cadres are increasingly seeking security in the protective custody of Jaffna Prison through the offices of the Jaffna SLHRC. Eight youths have already been placed in the safety of the Jaffna prison," the father of one of the surrendered youth said.

Placing those below 18 years of age in protective custody of Jaffna prison may cause legal complications and many local civil society organisations have requested the Jaffna UNICEF to make urgent arrangements to safeguard the lives of those below 18 threatened by the SLA and paramilitary groups, legal sources in Jaffna said.

"Most of the youths abducted and killed by the SLA are between the ages of 15 to 18, and the Organisations working to safeguard the welfare of children, including United Nations Children Fund (UNICEF) in Jaffna, are yet to raise alarm on the escalating incidents of abductions, and highlight the fear and trauma of parents with teen age children in Jaffna, civil society leaders in Jaffna said.

"Abductions and killings of the youth in the Jaffna peninsula have increased at an alarming rate. IN the last 50 days from October first week to November 20, more than 130 documented cases of abductions and killings alleged to be perpetrated by the SLA soldiers," a local NGO official said.

"The persons seeking protective custody in Jaffna prison through the HRC Jaffna office with their parents and relatives are mostly from the villages of Thirunelveli, Kokuvil, Kondavil and Inuvil villages. The majority of the cases of abducted and killed in recent times are from these villages," a Thirunelveli resident said.

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