Tamil GS officers interdicted with instruction to undergo ‘military rehabilitation’

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 June 2015, 13:45 GMT]
Colombo's Ministry of Public Administration has interdicted six Eezham Tamil Village Officers (GS) in Karaichchi division of Ki'linochchi District a week ago. The reason given was that the SL Defence Ministry wanted the 4 female and 2 male GS officers to undergo ‘military rehabilitation’, meant for ex-LTTE members with immediate effect. The interdicted GS officers are not ex-LTTE members. But, the reason cited for the military rehabilitation was that there were ex-LTTE members, either living or dead, in their families or among their close relatives. The shocking harassment from the UNP-run Defence and Public Administration ministries of the SL State shows that nothing has changed with regards to the military rule in the occupied country of Eezham Tamils, concerned civil sources in Ki'linochchi told TamilNet on Tuesday.

The six GS officers have been in duty for one year after they received initial training.

Karu Jayasuriya is the SL Minister of Public Administration, Local Government and Democratic Governance. The ministry controls employment and the affairs of the GS, DS (Divisional Secretaries) and other officials at the district-level administration.

The SL Government Agent of Ki'linochchi District Suntharam Arumainayagam has said he could do nothing to help the GS officers.

The affected GS officers also approached a prominent ‘human rights defender’ in Colombo, who has been collecting evidences during the Rajapaksa administration. But, the response from the Sinhala activist was that it was not worth the effort to complain against the incarceration. The activist said the GS officers, if they want to retain their jobs, should undergo the ‘rehabilitation’ programme of the SL military.

There are breast-feeding mothers among the four female GS officers, the sources further told TamilNet.

The suspended GS officers have been instructed to present themselves at Poonthoaddam incarceration camp of the SL military, the sources further said.

The nature of ‘military rehabilitation’ is not known and there are several detainees still languishing under the brutal programme.

The family of a Tamil woman who was subjected to 4 years of ‘military rehabilitation’ was recently freed after the family approached UNP's Vijayakala Maheswaran, a deputy minister responsible for women's affairs.

The woman was not an LTTE member. But, she was incarcerated for having worked as a medical staff of the Ponnambalam hospital, a civil medical installation of the de-facto civil administration during the times of the LTTE.

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