SLA demands personal information from families in Vadamaraadchchi

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 June 2008, 07:56 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna peninsula is subjecting families in the coastal villages of Vadmaraadchi to severe interrogation at their camps late into the night, and demanding personal information, the residents of these villages said. The SLA is conducting the screening operation to issue Special SLA Identity Cards to all Jaffna residents before the end of the year.

Families in Chakkoaddai, Polikandi and Point Pedro coastal villages are being summoned to the SLA camps in their respective areas and are kept waiting till 10:00 p.m for interrogation.

SLA is demanding personal information on properties, profession, income details, sources of income from abroad during night time interrogations, according to residents.

The SLA wants also to determine whether the families are permanent residents in these villages or have come from other districts of Sri Lanka, the residents said.

According to the SLA, the night time interrogation of families is said to be the third stage of the preliminary activities involved in the issue of the Special SLA Identity Cards.

As the first stage, SLA troops issued forms to each of the houses in these areas to be filled up and submitted with photos of all family members.

SLA conducted inquiries and interrogation on the basis of the information given in the above forms in the second stage.

The night time intensive interrogation in the SLA camps to which the entire family is subjected to is said to be the third stage.

SLA Jaffna Commander, Major. Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri had earlier announced that SLA Special Identity Cards for all residents of Jaffna peninsula will be issued before the end of the year.

Similar SLA measures are underway in Chaavakachcheari area in Themaraadchi.

All Jaffna residents are required to carry the Sri Lanka National Identity Cards, and the lengthy process to issue new SLA Identity Cards is an additional an addtional form of SLA harassment, residents of Vadamaraadchi said.