Police arrest five Vidaththalthivu refugees

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 30 June 1999, 19:13 GMT]
The Counter Subversive Unit (CSU) of the Sri Lankan Police in Mannar arrested and detained five refugees who arrived by sea from Vidaththalthivu today. More people fleeing the SLA shelling of Vidaththalthivu came by boat to Pallimunai near Mannar town this afternoon. The refugees said that 10 civilians were killed and more than 25 wounded by the army shelling yesterday.

Three hundred and eighty eight persons belonging to ninety three families arrived in Pallimunai by sea from Vidaththalthivu said the Mannar GA this evening.

All the refugees except the familes of the arrested persons were taken away by their relatives and friends living in Mannar town. The families of the arrested persons vowed to stay on at the Pallimunai St.Lucia's church until the CSU released them.

The refugees arrested and detained by the CSU this afternoon are:

1.Sabaratnam Micheal Robinson, 26, (married with children) of division 5 Vidaththalthivu west.

2.Sinnappu Don Suan, 26, of div.5 Vidaththalthivu

3.Jesudasan Joseph Stanislaus, 25, (married with children) of div.5 Vidaththalthivu

4.Tharmalingam Paskaran, 26, (married with children) of div.5 Vidaththalthivu

5.Veerasamy Kopal, 31, (married with children) of div.5 Vidaththalthivu west.

The five have been detained at the Mannar town CSU camp.