SLHRC discovers missing youth in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 December 2006, 22:08 GMT]
A youth, from Thunalai, Pandaitharippu in Valigamam, whose family members had complained to the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (SLHRC) Jaffna office of his disappearance earlier, was found to be held at the Special Detention Police Camp at Kankesanthurai by Jaffna SLHRC officers Friday, when they went on their weekly customary visit to the Special Detention Camp, sources from the Rights office said.

Manoharaseelan Thevaseelan, 21 is the youth who was discovered at the Special police detention camp by SLHRC Jaffna officials, headed by its co-ordinating officer S. Surenthirarajah, accompanied by legal officer M. Remedius.

Thevaseelan's family members had complained to the SLHRC Jaffna office that he had been missing since he went to work and they suspected Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the paramilitary cadres collaborating with it had abducted Thevaseelan.

In the context of many youths missing in Jaffna peninsula, alleged to be abducted by the SLA and its paramilitary group, the news of Thevaseelan, who is being held by the police without his family being informed of his arrest, comes as a shock, confirming their suspicions that killings of the abducted youths have close connections to the SLA and its paramilitary cadres, civil society sources in Jaffna said.