Reports of disappearances surface in wake of Sri Lanka CHOGM

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 19 November 2013, 19:54 GMT]
A 35-year-old Tamil activist, who was actively involved in mobilising support to the victory of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in the Provincial Council elections, has been reported missing since Friday in Ki'linochchi. Meanwhile, in Jaffna, an alert public apprehended two culprits, allegedly operated by the occupying Sri Lankan military, when the squad attempted to abduct a 21-year-old Tamil girl in broad daylight on Hospital Road in Jaffna on Monday. When the public caught the two Sinhala-speaking operatives, tens of occupying Sri Lankan soldiers and policemen protected the squad and assaulted the civilians, who had caught the abductors. The fate of another woman recently abducted by a similar squad at Punnaalaik-kadduvan in Jaffna is not known.

Eyewitnesses who were present at the junction, where the two alleged military operatives were caught in Jaffna, said they saw sharp weapons, ropes, blindfold and wires inside the blue-colour Hiace van (reg. no. 500-1173).

The SL military operatives have been blamed for abducting ex-LTTE female members who have been released after detention by the SL military.

The man reported missing in Ki'linochchi is Sivakumaran Baskaran, who is a native of Koozhaavadi village in Uruththirapuram.

He was last seen at Ki'linochchi Central Bus stand Friday morning when he was on his way to Ka'ndaava'lai.

Sivakumaran is a grassroots activist supporting the TNA, according to Tamil parliamentarian S. Sritharan from Ki'linochchi district.

Following the recent NPC elections in which the Tamil people rejected the rule by Colombo, the intelligence operatives of the SL military have been threatening the grassroots activists, who were behind the mass mobilisation. Several activists have displaced to escape the prying eyes of the SL military.

The affected people are reluctant to lodge complaints or reveal the identities of those being targeted in fear of further reprisals.