Civilians beaten up at STF camp

[TamilNet, Sunday, 04 January 1998, 23:59 GMT]
More than 471 young boys and men who went to sign the weekly register for civilians arrested and released by the STF during cordon and search operations at the Kaluwanchikudy STF camp this morning were beaten up and made to stand in the rain in a mud pool for four hours.

The postal identity cards of boys below sixteen were torn up by the Special Task Force (STF). School children who have not reached voting age are usually issued postal identity cards instead of the all important national identity cards.

These persons are from the villages of Eruvil, Kaluthawalai, Koddaikallar, Thethaathivu etc., south of Batticaloa between the lagoon and the sea which come under the supervision of the STF.

It is compulsory for these persons to report to the Kaluwanchikudy STF camp every Sunday. Normally they are used for hard labour by the STF.