SLA denies permission to Jaffna HRC to visit Vanni detainees

[TamilNet, Thursday, 14 May 2009, 16:49 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities in Jaffna denied permission to the local officials of Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (SLHRC) Jaffna office to visit Thellippazhai SLA Rehabilitation Camp where more than 600 young men and women from Vanni are detained, sources in Jaffna said. The officials routinely visit the above camp to attend to matters related to human rights violation like torture. SLA said that only on permission from the Justice Ministry in Colombo the officials would be permitted to visit the said Rehabilitation camp, HRC Jaffna sources said.

Meanwhile, the Commissioner of the Ministry of Rehabilitation, Mr. D. Fernando, arrived Thursday on a visit to Jaffna.

Though the Commissioner did not meet Jaffna HRC officials he visited Jaffna Technical College (JTC) Thursday where he discussed providing vocational training for the youths from Vanni detained in Thellippazhai SLA Rehabilitation camp with the principal of JTC.

Mr. Fernando explored the possibility of opening vocational training centres for the detainees in suitable locations in Jaffna, in his discussion with JTC principal.

Meanwhile, UNICEF sources in Jaffna did not release information of any prospective meeting with the visiting Commissioner, the sources added.

SLA refusing permission to local officials of Jaffna HRC to visit the young men and women detained in Thellippazhai SLA Rehabilitation camp has raised anxiety and suspicion among the organizations interested in the welfare of the Vanni detainees in Jaffna district.