Army announces new security regulations

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 November 1998, 13:53 GMT]
All civilians living in the Jaffna peninsula should have a National Identity Card (NIC) and anybody without a card will not be allowed to pass through Sri Lankan army (SLA) check points, the security forces headquarters at Palaly has informed the public.

In a press note issued to the Provincial Newspaper, Uthayan, in Jaffna, the SLA has said that a number of people between the age group of 20 to 30 have made complaints to the Police to say their NICs have been lost and applied for new ones. According to the SLA these people had given their National Identity Cards to the LTTE to forge NIC's in their names.

Therefore, the SLA have instructed the public that if they loose their NICs, they should inform the SLA. Informed sources said that this measure has been taken by the SLA in order to restrict the increasing infiltration of the LTTE into army controlled areas in Jaffna peninsula.

Meanwhile the SLA conducted search operations in the Ampan and Nakar Kovil areas in Vadamaradchi east yesterday from 8 a.m to 12 noon. It is not known whether any arrests were made.

A female employee attached to the Sri Lankan Red Cross (SLRC), Inthumathy Puvanenthiran (21), from Alvai in Vadamaradchi, was arrested by the Sri Lankan Army at the Manthikai 'Mathathady' check post in Vadamaradchi yesterday around 3 p.m.

K.Muthuluxmy, a 36 year old woman and V.Thasan, 34, were arrested by the Sri Lankan Army and were severely beaten up. Both are from Maamunai, Chempiyan Pattu in Vadamaradchi East.

Elsewhere, eight students were beaten up by the Sri Lankan Army when it conducted a search operation in Mirusuvil, Thenmaradchi north on November 19 said sources there. The army also confiscated identity cards from 12 schools students.

Five of the students who were beaten by the SLA are: A. Ranjinithevi, P.Ranjithamalar, S. Sivapalan, K.Manoharan and S. Thevan.

Relatives of Mr. Sabapathipillai Sivasubramanium, 38, of Thondamanaru north in Vadamaradchi, who was arrested by the Sri Lankan Army on November 5, say that they have not been able find what had happened to him.