2ND LEAD

Ampaa'rai Tamil activist killed after protesting demographic changes

[TamilNet, Monday, 28 January 2013, 21:31 GMT]
40 year-old Seenithamby Premanathan, a father of two, was waylaid and cut to death by an unknown killer squad Sunday night around 8:30 p.m., when he was returning home in a three wheeler from his brother’s house located at Malvaththai along a paddy field between Mallikaith-theevu and Malvaththai in Chammaanthu’rai police division. The killing comes a day after he was reported to have voiced concern over the injustice done in the demarcation of boundaries of the local authority concerned, civil sources in Ampaa’rai told TamilNet. In recent days, there were also reports of targeted harassments against Tamil women in Ampaa'rai.

The SL government in Colombo has been scheming a new Sinhala division in the district while a Muslim minister in the Rajapaksa regime has been carving out new civic boundaries for Muslims.

Those who question about Tamils losing their lands in the demarcation have been intimidated and threatened with death.

The latest killing comes amidst reports that SL military intelligence operatives had started monitoring and collecting details about political and civil activists attending meetings and those who accompany them.

It is feared that killer squads, which have political backing, are targeting Tamil civic leaders, who are in the forefront to question injustice done to Tamils in Ampaa'rai.

Establishing new military cantonments, the SL government in Colombo has been working on creating a new Sinhala division ncluding the localities of the Oluvil port and a Buddhist temple constructed at Deegavaapi.

At the same time, ALM Athaullah, who is a cabinet minister with the portfolio of local government and provincial councils in Mahinda Rajapaksa's regime, has been working on carving out new Municipalities and Piratheasa Chapai (PS) for Muslims at Akkaraippattu and I'rakkaamam.

The ancient Tamil villages in the district at Kalmunai, Paa’ndiruppu, Natpiddi-munai, Periya-neelaava’nai etc., don’t have their own PS or divisions.

Related Articles:
17.01.13   Violence against Tamil women on increase in Ampaa'rai
15.01.13   Grabbing pastureland in Ampaa’rai district goes unabated


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