SLAF searches suburbs of Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 02 August 2000, 13:48 GMT]
Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) personnel and police sealed off Puthunakar, Sethukudha and Veechukalmunai, suburbs of Batticaloa, and conducted a house to house search operation from 5 a.m. till 11 a.m. Wednesday.

Every house in these areas was thoroughly searched by government security personnel. However no arrests were reported residents said.

Meanwhile the Chairman of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) in Vavuniya, Mr.Sreetharan said that the Commission received 77 complaints regarding arrests by the Sri Lanka Army and Police during July. The HRC has not been able to find the whereabouts of six of them, Mr.Sreetharan further said.

They are identified as:

• 1. Gnanapirakasam Gnananeswaran, 35. He was arrested at his house at Thirunavatkulam, Thaandikulam
• 2. Sivasambu Thivakaran, 17. He has been reported 'missing' since 9 July.
• 3. Thillainathan Sasikumar, 26. He was staying at Eeswaran Lodge and left for Colombo on 12 July.
• 4. Sivakolunthu Vijeyakumar, 16. He has been reported 'missing' since 22 July.
• 5. Vijeyaratnam Vinobaji, 16, of Sreenakar, Poonthoddam. He is a student of CCTMS school in Vavuniya.
• 6. Sivakumar Sutharshan, 16, of Poonthoddam Welfare Centre.