2ND LEAD

Violence against Tamil women on increase in Ampaa'rai

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 January 2013, 18:31 GMT]
Soldiers of the occupying Sri Lanka Army in Ampaa'rai on Wednesday said they recovered a dead body of a 45-year-old Tamil woman who had been living alone at Koamaari village in Ampaa'rai district. The body had washed ashore along the coast of the Tamil village where an SLA camp is located. Medical sources at Pothtuvil hospital, after inspecting the dead body of the victim with injuries on her face and neck, said the woman had been sexually abused.

In the meantime, a 17-year-old Tamil girl narrowly escaped from a rapist on 09 January at Thiraaykkea'ni in the district. Last month, a gang attempted to sexually abuse Tamil women who were working at the paddy fields in Thirukkoayil.

While the sexual harassments on Tamil women in Thirukkoayil and Thiraaykkea'ni are attributed to Muslim elements, the killing at Koamaari could be the work of the occupying SLA, residents there said.

The slain victim had been living alone after separation from her husband. She was dependent on cattle breeding for her livelihood.

Koamaari, a traditional Tamil village, is located towards the southern coast of the Eastern Province.

Political observers in the East are of the opinion that complete ethnic cleansing of Tamils in the Ampaa'rai district is the agenda behind the ongoing incidents.