HRC helps owner reclaim boat from SLA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 13 May 2003, 11:23 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Monday handed over a fishing boat to its legal owner Ms. Jeyanes Rosemalar in the presence of the Jaffna co-ordinator of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRC) following the intervention by the HRC on behalf of the complainant, sources said.

SLA soldiers belonging to the 523 Brigade removed the fishing boat during the latter part of 1999 from Kilaly-Mirisuvil coastal area and were using the boat for their own military purposes since then. The SLA refused to return the boat to its owner Ms.Rosemalar despite repeated requests. As a last resort the complainant owner brought this matter to the notice of the Jaffna HRC authorities, sources said.

The SLA at the beginning said the boat was not in its possession and later insisted that the boat has already been returned to its owner when the regional co-ordinator of the Jaffna HRC took up the issue for investigation.

The owner said the boat was still with the SLA. When the Jaffna HRC authorities made representation to the SLA hierarchy in Jaffna it came to light that the boat was still with the 523 brigade of SLA stationed at Kilali-Mirusuvil, sources said.

The SLA authorities brought the boat to the HRC office in Jaffna Monday and handed it to Rosemalar in the presence of the HRC regional co-ordinator, sources in Jaffna said.

The value of the boat is estimated two hundred thousand rupees, sources said.