INFORM
HUMAN RIGHTS DOCUMENTATION CENTRE,
SRI LANKA
SITUATION REPORT
MAY 2006
Overview:
The month of May 2006 saw Sri Lanka moving closer to war, with the peace process
remaining at an impasse and the southern political scenario more complex than ever
before.
Throughout the month, violence in the north and east continued with several large-scale
killings and disappearances of civilians in the Jaffna peninsula alone reported in the first
half of the month. Abductions became a matter of serious concern with reports of
abductions by men in a white van bringing back memories of the 1990s in the Eastern
province. In addition, the discovery of dead bodies in public places fuelled concerns
regarding extra-judicial killings. Two killings, one of a group of eight well-known
Colombo-based entrepreneurs at the Wild Life Park in Wilpattu and the other of 12
Sinhala villagers working on a construction site in Omadiyamadu in Welikanda, sent
shock waves through the country.
171 politically motivated killings were recorded for the north and east during the
month of May 2006. Of this, 79 were civilians; 8 of the civilians killed were below 18
years of age.
There was a great deal of coming and going with regard to the peace process during May
and several last-ditch attempts to get both the LTTE and the government back to the
negotiating table. However, the possibility for a Geneva Round 2 seemed more and more
remote. Instead, as May drew to an end, the possibility of a fresh round of talks taking
place in Oslo, again with a limited agenda, this time on the role of the Sri Lanka
Monitoring Mission, emerged as a glimmer of hope.
The President continued to convene meetings of the All Party Conference but reaching a
consensus within remained distant. The boycott of the UNP and the TNA also means that
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the process is flawed from the outset. The left parties which are on coalition with the
SLFP to form the government also came out in a ‘Left Coalition’ with other left parties
outside the government in order to build a progressive consensus on the resolution of the
conflict. Although this is an ideologically significant move, in terms of numbers and
support, the base of the traditional left parties has been dwindling over the years, partly
due to encroachment by the JVP and partly due to disillusionment of members.
In the international arena, human rights groups such as Amnesty International, the Asian
Forum on Human Rights and Development and the Asian Human Rights Council issued
statements critical of the conduct of both the government and the LTTE with regard to
the peace process and in particular denouncing the intensification of violence in the north
and east. In addition, several international organizations issued statements critical of the
President’s steps to appoint members to independent Commissions. Particularly
significant was that both the Secretary General of the UN and the UN High
Commissioner on Human Rights issued strong statements condemning the rising spiral of
violence and calling on all parties to take steps to defuse the tensions.
An international gathering of journalists and media persons was held in Sri Lanka to
mark World Press Freedom Day on May 3 and sadly coincided with the attack on the
‘Uthayan’ newspaper’s offices in Jaffna in which two employees were killed. This led to
several statements critical of the situation with regard to press freedom in the country
coming out from inside the country as well as from outside.
On May 9, Sri Lanka was elected to the newly established UN Human Rights Council
and also got a position on the newly established UN Peace Building Commission. This
creates a new set of human rights obligations for the government, which has already
made some pledges as a part of its bid to secure the nomination for the position. The
Minister of Human rights and Disaster Management in mid May appointed a team of well
known civil society activists to act in an advisory capacity to the Ministry. This move
was echoed by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. The Minister also took the initiative to reconvene the Inter-Ministerial Sub-Committee on Human Rights. It is clear that the
government takes the challenge of presenting a ‘good face’ to the international
community at the inaugural session of the Human Rights Council in June seriously.
On May 19, the President announced the appointment of new members of the National
Human Rights Commission. These appointments again technically should have been
made by the Constitutional Council. Retired Supreme Court judge P. Ramanathan has
been appointed the Chairperson.
On the economic front, too, the situation was complex. The government was plagued by
threats of strikes in the public sector following the lack of progress on the disputes over
the circular on salary increases. Following protests by JVP-led unions over the proposed
Electricity Reform Bill, the tabling of the Bill in Parliament was postponed. According to
the Unions, the Bill as it now stands would pave the way for privatization of the power
sector.
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North East Violence
The first of May saw reports of a pitched battle taking place between cadre of the LTTE
and of the Karuna faction in an area known as Kasankulam, about 15 kilometers away
from Welikanda. This was an area in which there was supposed to be a large camp
housing members of the Karuna faction, and the clash proved beyond doubt the presence
of Karuna cadre in the cleared areas of the Welikanda region.
In May, three cases of multiple killings of civilians took place in the Jaffna peninsula
and contributed to the growing fear psychosis among the people of Jaffna but in the
Tamil population in general.
On May 6, eight Tamil men including the General Secretary of the Temple Management
Board disappeared from the premises of the Kerathu Amman kovil in Manthuvil, near
Chavakachcheri Jaffna and close to the army camp at Varany. There had been much
activity in the temple in the days preceding the disappearance because the
kumbhabhishekam festival was due to be performed on May 7 Sunday and the men had
decided to sleep at the temple that night in order to safeguard the gold ornaments on the
statues. The temple had been renovated after many years of disrepair. That night;
villagers heard shots and the sound of jeeps; in the morning, the temple was empty, and
villagers found blood stains and ID cards of three of the young men. When family
members began to urge the army to search the area for the bodies, an unofficial curfew
was declared. Although there was a rumour that the bodies were in the shrub jungle close
to the village, this was never confirmed; the bodies have not been located so far.
In another incident, on May 7, 5 young Tamil men, all working as daily paid labourers at
the Point Pedro harbour, were traveling in 2 three-wheelers on their way to visit a friend,
when they were shot while passing by the army check-point at Nelliady a few minutes
after some other unidentified persons had thrown a grenade at the soldiers there. All 5
and the 2 drivers were killed. Newspapers first reported that the people who had thrown
the grenade had been killed in the incident, but this was later found to be incorrect. All
seven young men were from Rajagramam model village and all from the nalavar caste,
which is placed very low on the hierarchy of the Jaffna caste system.
On May 13, 13 people killed in three different incidents in Kayts island off Jaffna.
Among them was a family of four including two children as well four other adult males
who were killed by a group of men who entered the two-storey house at Alaipiddy at
about 8.30 p.m. and went through the house killing all its occupants. The house was
located about 500 meters away from a Navy camp. When the attackers were leaving they
fired into and flung a grenade into the small shop on the compound. 3 persons were
wounded, one died later in hospital.
On the same night, the owner of a tea shop was shot and killed and his shop set on fire in
Velanai. Three member of one family were shot and killed at the Puliankodal-Velanai
junction and their Communication Centre as well as other shops in the area were set on
fire.
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The fact that all these incidents have taken place in the cleared areas and in fact in areas
which are in close proximity to camps or sentry points of the security forces has
contributed to the insecurity of civilians in these areas. The declaring of Police curfews in
the areas where incidents have taken place immediately after the incident, as happened in
the Manduvil and Allaipiddy cases, also makes people suspicious that this is a ploy to
allow time for the culprits to clear the evidence from the scene. The slowness of the
investigations has also led to a heightening of belief among the people of the impunity of
those who engage in such acts of violence.
The killing of twelve Sinhala persons in Omadiyamadu on May 30 added a fresh
dimension to the on-going violence, not only because the victims were Sinhala but
because the background to their killing brought sharply to focus the issue of the impact of
the on-going conflict between the LTTE and the Karuna faction on the civilians of the
Welikanda area.
Civilian life in the North and East
The Jaffna peninsula and Mutur have been plagued by power cuts due to technical
problems with electricity supply lines especially during the night which makes the people
extremely insecure and sharpens their vulnerability. The failure of the state authorities to
execute necessary repairs is causing ordinary people a great deal of inconvenience. In
addition, there was a shortage of fuel in the peninsula due to regular road closures and
security problems. Throughout May there were days during which no government
offices or schools functioned in Trincomalee, in Mutur, in Jaffna town and in many of
the smaller towns in the Jaffna peninsula. The ban on transport of cement and iron
rods has had a hugely negative impact on all construction programmes including posttsunami housing programmes. The insecurity has also led many NGOs, both national and
international, to scale down their activities and this too has a negative impact on the day
to day lives of the civilians living in these areas.
In all the towns in the affected areas, business ands trading activities were slow due to transport
problems as well as feelings of fear and insecurity. In Trincomalee, banks remained open for
only three hours a day, according to reports received on May 22. The ban on bicycles and
motor bicycles entering the town also created many problems for the civilian population who
travel in and out of the town for their daily needs and transactions.
Displacement
Fairly large-scale displacement of Tamil and Sinhala civilians from the Trincomalee area
started taking place in the aftermath of on-going violence. On May 3, a group of over 200
fisher families from Kokilai arrived in Negombo having fled their villages for fear of the
constant attacks.
There were over 2000 persons reported to have reached Mannar in an attempt to flee
to southern India. Most of them were from villages in Mannar, Pesalai and
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Trincomalee. From Dhanushkodi in South India, which is the most commonly used
landing point for refugees from Sri Lanka, the authorities said over 1000 persons had
reached there from Sri Lanka in the month of April and May. Organizations working
with Sri Lankan refugees in Tamilnadu have also commented on the seriousness of the
situation. The Superintendent of the Indian Border Security Force Mr. Alexander
traveled to Tamil Nadu from New Delhi to make inquiries regarding the security
screening of the arrivals.
The trip which is undertaken in small fishing boats is extremely hazardous, and illegal.
The travelers are subject to intimidation and extortion at all points along the way and
there was a case reported in which several persons drowned en route. On May 24,
newspapers reported that the Sri Lankan Navy had detained a group of 110 and
handed them over to the Talaimannar Police.
A leaflet bearing the name Tamil Eelam Salvage Force (Thamil Eela Meetpu Padai) was
distributed to Muslims in Mutur on May 29 asking them to vacate their homes within 72
hours. However, no direct action to support this leaflet was reported. Yet, the potential of
a Tamil-Muslim clash in the aftermath of the leaflet led to displacement among both
communities. The UNHCR said that it was providing for 21,000 persons in the LTTE
controlled areas of Mutur and in the town and gravets area.
Following the debates about the numbers of displaced persons in Trincomalee District, on
May 8, the Daily Mirror quoted the Government Agent for Trincomalee, Mr. Leelananda,
saying that he had issued dry rations for two weeks to over 100,000 displaced persons in
Trincomalee. In some areas, including in Negombo, IDPs were reported to be moving
into transitional tsunami camps.
The security situation made the provision of basic needs for those displaced due to the
tensions rather difficult. On May 9, Country Director of the World Food Programme Jeff
Taft Dick was reported to have said that the their programmes in the north and east were
operating at a slow pace due to the security situation. He also cautioned that if the
situation was not brought under control, the WFP would reconsider the scope and extent
of its operations because of concerns regarding safety of staff members. These concerns
were echoed by other humanitarian and development agencies working in the north and
east. Many had withdrawn their expatriate staff from the region and were engaged in
assessing the situation.
Supreme Court judgment on displacement due to HSZs in Jaffna
In the meanwhile, on May 8 the Supreme Court delivered a judgment regarding the
petition filed on behalf of persons who had been displaced by the creation of High
Security Zones in Jaffna. A Bench consisting of Chief Justice Sarath N. Silva, and
Justices Nihal Jayasinhe and N.E. Dissanayake found in favour of petitioners including
TNA MP Mavai Senathirajah and Mr. V. Rajadurai, and called on the authorities to allow
at least some IDPs to return to their places of origin located within the Palay HSZ of
Jaffna, with special conditions relating to security which included that they should ensure
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that the security forces would not be imperiled by the activities of militants using their
property.
Following the judgment, on May 12, the Attorney General’s Department agreed to
consult with the Defense Ministry regarding re-settling persons in the HSZs. The report
prepared by Mr K. Ganesh, the District Secretary, Jaffna on request of the Court stated
that as at 20.3.2006, 20,365 families had been displaced; of them 1,679 families were
living in welfare centres since their displacement in 1992. Of this number, 7,456 families
have said they are willing to submit to the interviews by District Secretaries and
representatives of the security forces in order to resettle.
July 24 is set as the next date for hearing.
Attacks On NGOs
On May 21, three grenade attacks on offices of three international NGOs working in
Mutur sent shock waves through the country and particularly the international
community. One Serbian national working with the Non-Violent Peace Force in Mutur
was injured in a firing that followed the grenade attack. ZOA and Inter-SOS, a Swiss
NGO working on humanitarian issues were the other two offices that came under attack.
There had been leaflets distributed a few days previously asking international NGOs to
leave the town. This situation has led many of the international and national NGOs
working on development and humanitarian issues in the North and East to engage in a
massive re-assessment exercise regarding their role and position in Sri Lanka.
The killing of Gnanpragasam Jeyaruban, a driver on the Shelter Project of the Norwegian
Refugee Council near his home in Pudiyasinnakulam in Vavuniya, on May 16, also led to
a heightened sense of insecurity within the NGO community.
Local government elections
The municipal elections of May 19 2006 took place without much violence in most of the
locations. Several Police Officers were interdicted for failure to prevent the forcible
removal of ballot papers from a polling station at Wahugepitiya Saraswathi Vidayalaya.
Tensions erupted after the elections, with legal battles being launched in order to enable
alternative candidates to hold office. This was a ploy adopted by the UNP in the case of
the Colombo Municipal Council and by the UPFA in the case of the Gampaha Urban
Council, where their lists of candidates had been rejected by elections officials for
technical reasons, but there was resistance to these moves from many quarters. Up to the
end of May there was no clarity as to the status of the Mayor of Colombo since the
person who was sworn in had not assumed duties.
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Peace process
The international community took on the challenge posed by the growing violence in the
north and east by castigating both the LTTE and the government, the LTTE in particular
through the ban imposed by the European Union and the government and the LTTE
both through the statement issued by the Co-Chairs of the Sri Lanka Aid Consortium
– the USA, the EU, Japan and the EU - after their emergency meeting in Tokyo on May
30. While both sides to the CFA were anxious to show that the criticism was leveled at
the other, in fact, the EU and the Co-Chairs have laid serious charges at the door of both
the LTTE and the government.
In the first half of May, there was a remarkable amount of to and fro of a series of foreign
dignitaries linked to the peace process. Japanese special envoy Yasushi Akashi arrived on
May 7and had meetings in Colombo and in Kilinochchi. Norwegian facilitator HansenBauer and Minister of International Development Mr. Solheim also paid visits. American
Deputy Secretary, Richard Boucher was another visitor to Colombo during this time. The
Foreign Minister and other officials visited Delhi for a meeting with Indian PM
Manmohan Singh and other officials and European capitals in their lobby for the EU ban
on the LTTE. Political observers pointed to the fact that the US Deputy Secretary,
Norwegian Minister and Japanese Envoy were all in India at the same time when the Sri
Lankan Foreign Minister Mangala Samaraweera was also in India. However, the Indian
government has remained clear of any involvement in the present conflict. Breaking the
deadlock in the peace process was also the subject of discussions between Norwegian
facilitator Hansen-Bauer and Peace Secretariat chief Palitha Kohonna in Spain. The
Foreign Minister Samaraweera also made visits to Japan and to the Arab States to seek
support for the government’s position regarding the LTTE.
The EU ban on the LTTE came into effect on May 18, while the Indian government on
May 25 announced that they too would extend their proscription of the LTTE for a
further two year period.
In early May, the sticking points in the debates about a return to peace talks were both at
the abstract and practical levels. On the one hand, the LTTE insisted that the talks should
focus on the CFA and on the implementation of commitments made at the first round of
talks in Geneva in February 2006. On the other hand, there were tensions between the
LTTe and the government regarding transport of its cadre from the east to the north. This
remained an unresolved issue between the two parties. For example, at one stage, on May
6, the LTTE accepted the government’s offer of a sea plane for transport of cadre; then it
refused permission for the airlines staff to inspect landing site in Kilinochchi. By May 12
the LTTE had rejected the sea plane offer and said that the talks were off.
Parties opposed to the process of negotiation with the LTTE renewed their call for an allout attack on the LTTE. In Parliament on May 9, the JVP called for war with the LTTE.
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The role of the SLMM
This was also a period when the heightening in violence on all sides of the conflict led to
a serious deterioration of the relations between the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission
(SLMM) and both parties to the CFA. Complaining of lack of commitment to provide
security and information to SLMM personnel on both sides, one SLMM statement also
stated that the heavier burden of responsibility fell on the government with regard to
extra-judicial killings and killings of civilians
Following the attack on the SL Navy on May 12, there were heightened tensions between
the government and the LTTE over the LTTE claim to access to the sea which the
government said was in conflict with state sovereignty. SLMM chief: Ulf Ericsson in a
statement affirmed their belief that neither side can win militarily. The incident led to the
LTTE claiming a loss of trust in SLMM.
All Party Conference
The President summoned meetings of the All Party Conference, at which he continued to
urge movement towards consensus on the peace process. The JVP and JHU in turn
continued to resist these moves and maintain a belligerent stance towards the LTTE. The
participation of JVP Propaganda Secretary Weerawansa in the leadership of the National
Patriotic Movement and other ultra-nationalist organizations who openly advocate a
return to war has created tensions within the ruling alliance. At the sessions of the APC
on April 29, there had been agreement on a negotiated settlement but during the month of
May the President’s proposal to collectively design the ‘final solution’ for the Sri Lankan
conflict led to much criticism. The JVP has maintained its call for the withdrawal of
Norway from the facilitator’s role in the peace process.
Issues of democracy
The failure of the President to appoint the Constitutional Council and the steps taken
by him to appoint members to the National Police Commission, the Public Services
Commission and the National Human Rights Commission continued to be points of
political debate and litigation, with the Civil Rights Movement, Sri Lanka’s oldest human
rights organization, pointing out the salient features of the 17th Amendment to the
Constitution that made the appointment of the Constitutional Council a possibility despite
what seems to be the present impasse over the single empty slot on the Council.
In May newspapers reported a proposal for new legislation for national security that
will include conscription. A special Committee had been appointed, comprising Trade
Minister and Chief Govt. Whip Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, Information and Media Minister
Anura Priyadarshana Yapa, JVP Parliamentary group leader and spokesman Wimal
Weerawansa, UPFA MP Dulles Alahapperuma, Udaya Gammanpila of the JHU and
Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga;
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Security and defense
Following widespread criticism for the air attacks in Sampoor, the government accepted
that it had been a pre-emptive strike. The Foreign Minister went on record as saying that
this military action had been an act of deterrence, limited in time and scope. On May 4,
the Special Task Force set up by the President to look into the impact of the aerial
bombings on civilians confirmed: 16 dead, 10 injured, 53 houses damaged (6 totally
destroyed, 26 partly damaged, 21 minor damages) 5 shops partially damaged; two
schools and a health centre also damaged. The Task Force had been chaired by NorthEast
Province Governor Rear Admiral Mohan Wijewickrema.
There was a second round of aerial bombing in Kuthiramalai in Mannar on May 5
following an attack on the Navy by the LTTE. On May 12, LTTE boats attacked and
destroyed a navy Fast Attack craft in the seas off Vettilaikerni. The Navy boats had been
providing security to the Ms. Pearl Cruiser, which was carrying over 700 members of the
security forces on a trip from Trincomalee to Kankesanturai in the north. Following this
incident, the SLMM called off accompaniment to Navy temporarily. Following this
incident too, the Air force launched retaliatory attacks on targets in Kilinochchi and
Sampur.
During May, there were several areas in Jaffna where the Police imposed curfew, for
example from midnight on Sunday May 7 to 4 p.m. on Monday May 8. The sudden
decision led to the closure of the A9 road and over 3000 persons were left stranded
overnight on either side of the A9 crossing points.
The government responded to the deteriorating security situation by encouraging the
Police to establish Civilian Defence Committees throughout the country including in the
plantation areas. On May 17, SSP Ilangakoon, the Commander of the Home Guard Unit,
announced the recruitment of over 5000 persons as Home Guards, to provide security
for border villages. They would function independently of the Police and come directly
under command of a special unit of the armed forces. Navy Commander Karannagoda
was reported to be in charge of recruitment and training process.
The situation also led to suspicion and mistrust of Tamils living outside the North and
East. The Ministry of Defence, Public Security and Law and Order announced the
opening of a special counter to receive information from the public relating to potential
breaches of national security. On May 18, the Army Chief of Staff Maj. Gen.
Mallawarachchi called on citizens of Colombo and the suburbs to be wary of strangers.
He identified particular categories such as barbers, shoe makers, collectors of old
newspapers and bottles or even those appearing to be beggars. This has threatened the
livelihoods of numbers of the Tamil urban poor who engage in these occupations.
In addition, the tense situation and the spreading of mistrust of all Tamils trough this type
of public announcement make ordinary Tamils much more vulnerable to a whole range of
abuse including threats and intimidation. On May 8, The Island newspaper reported
SSP Neville Guruge, Director of Investigations of the Bribery Commission referring to
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complaints of police officers taking bribes from suspects during cordon and search
operations. Amnesty International issued a statement expressing concern regarding the
safety of Dr. K. Manoharan, father of one of five students killed in Trincomalee on
January.2, who has made several complaints of harassment, threats and intimidation.
The fact that many different groups seem to be operating throughout the north and east
in particular creates a great deal of confusion and enables many injustices to take
place in the course of security operations. For example, groups identifying themselves
as the Ellalan Force, Sangiliyan Force and Rising People’s Force have claimed
responsibility for various killings in the Jaffna Peninsula.
The process of militarization also created a sense of insecurity among members of
minority communities, with the appointment of Retired Major general T.D. Silva as
Government Agent of Trincomalee with effect from June 1 sending ripples through the
administrative services. This followed on the appointment, on May 5, of retired Major
General Vajira Wijegoonawardena as Commmissioner of Prisons.
Post-Tsunami Scenario
The Bill to create the Reconstruction and Development Agency (RADA) remained
pending before Parliament.
Following serious critiques of the short-falls in post-tsunami housing reconstruction,
RADA issued figures for post-tsunami housing needs. According to these figures, a total
of over 98,000 homes were destroyed by the tsunami of December 2004. of them, 30,000
had been completely reconstructed under the Owner driven scheme instituted by RADA’s
predecessor, TAFREN. 39,000 were still under construction. In the Donor Assisted
category, 6000 homes had been built, and 8500 were under construction. In addition,
4500 homes had been rebuilt by independent well wishers. A total of 18,000 more houses
need to begin construction to fulfill the need.
Saliya Wickremasuriya, Chief Operating Officer of the Reconstruction and Development
Agency (RADA) was also appointed chairman of Sri Lanka Ports Authority in May.
Media freedom
On May 3 World Press Freedom Day, an internatonal conference on Media, Development
and Poverty Eradication was held in Colombo. There was also a demonstration calling for
justice for murdered journalists organized by the Free Media Movement, the Tamil media
Forum, the Muslim Media Forum and other media organizations in front of the Fort
Railway Station in Colombo.
6 persons were arrested on suspicion of involvement in the attack on the ‘Uthayan’ office
in Jaffna which left two employees of the newspaper dead. They were granted bail on
May 5.
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On May 5, the Free Media Movement also issued a statement calling for immediate
investigation into the arrest of a young Tamil woman broadcaster Sivaramya Sivanandan
who was arrested near the BMICH while on her way to attend the Seminar organized by
them
A leaflet from a group identified as the Ravana Battalion called for all Tamils to resign
from their jobs in state media in mid-May. Following this, a delegation of representatives
from a numer of meida organizations traveled to Kilinochchi to meet with the LTTE in
this regard. They were assured that this directive was not issued by the LTTE.
The prohibition imposed on Asoka Handagama’s film Aksharaya continued to be at the
centre of controversy. The President’s decision to ban the film Da Vinci Code following a
request by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference also led to protests by media freedom
groups.
Media and Misinformation:
The role played by the media in disseminating incorrect information in a potentially
inflammable situation remains a matter of concern for freedom of expression groups.
For example: on May 4, the Daily News published a photograph of the head of the suicide
bomber who attacked the Army Commander on April 25, and identified her
unequivocally as Anoja Kugenthirasa from Poowarasankulam, Vavuniya, and confirmed
that she was pregnant. A few days later, newspaper reports clarified that the Judicial
medical officer who conducted the post mortem examination of the female body had
stated that it was difficult to ascertain whether she was actually pregnant. On May 13,
newspapers published an appeal to the public from the: CID, asking for public assistance
to identify the suicide bomber.
Women’s rights including the right to work:
NGOs continued to shape their responses to the leaflets calling for young unmarried
women in particular not to take up employment with international agencies working in
the Eastern Province. On May 3, the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies (CHA)
issued a statement alleging that the references to sexual harassment in NGOs was a
malicious rumour. Some reports tried to link the suicide of a 23 year old female
University student from Karativu to this scandal, but it later transpired that she had been
abducted and then released by a group of unknown men a few days previously and had
been disturbed by that incident.
The trial in the case of rape of a young woman at the central bus stand in Colombo, in
Pettah, on May 24 2005, was fixed for July 25 at the Colombo High Court.
The Ministry of Women’s Empowerment and Child Affairs Affairs appointed a
Committee to investigate complaints of sexual harassment in places of work, public and
private.
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Other Human Rights Issues
On May 11, the President inaugurated construction of the coal power plant to be built in
Norochcholai, in the Chilaw District. This project has been criticized by environmental
activists who point to the implications for the environment as well as the impact on
livelihoods and lives of people who presently live in the area where the constructuin wull
take place. Protests by the Alliance for the Protection of National Resources and Human
Rights (APNRHR) have continued despite the fact that it is now officially off the ground,
while the government, in response, has run one page advertisements in daily newspapers
in all languages to promote the power plant. There have also been some demonstrations
in favour of the plant organized by government trade unions and supporters.
The Ven. Deraniyagala Kusala Dhamma Thero, chief incumbent of the Sri Sambodhi
Viharaya on Gregory’s Road, Colombo 7, has filed a petition with the Supreme Court
regarding disrespectful public display of Buddha statues.
The Chief Justice has been asked to look into the case of 370 Sri Lankans (including 70
women) who are presently detained for violations of Emigration and Immigration Act No
42 of 1988.
Universities:
Student politics led to a clash between two groups of students in Peradeniya on April 30
which led to six students being hospitalized.
Following a series of threats, Prof. Ratnajeevan Hoole, Vice Chancellor of the Jaffna
University, left Sri Lanka with his family.
80 Sinhala students of the Business Studies Faculty on the Vavuniya campus were due to
be relocated to the Rajarata Campus at Mihintale due to security concerns.
On May 18, the office of TNA Parliamentarian S. Gajendran, in Jaffna was set on fire;
the premises also served as the office of the International Tamil Students’ Union
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Politically motivated killings: May 2006
DN (Daily News); DM (Daily Mirror); Is (Island); ML (Morning Leader); LD
(Lankadeepa); LB (Lakbima); ST (Sunday Times); SL (Sunday Leader); Sunday
Observer (SO)
Killings:
01: Jeyam Prakash (21) of Colombuthurai, Jaffna, shot and killed at Jaffna bus stand;
(DM)
2 civilians killed in attack by LTTE on Kokilai; (Is.)
Press reports of LTTE attack on Karuna camp in Kasankulam off Welikanda; 15 deaths
reported; (DM)
Ms. E. Bothini shot and wounded in Velanai while walking on the road and died later in
hospital; her transport to hospital was delayed due to security check at Alaipiddy junction
by Naval personnel following a claymore explosion (Tnet)
Rasamany Sangarapillai (74) shot at close range while at his home in Alaipiddy; he
expired due toi delays in transport to hospital; (Tnet)
02: 5 including 2 Navy men and 3 civilians, killed in claymore explosion on Vidyalaya
Road in Trincomalee; (Is)
K.H. Gamini Kularatna and Somapalalage Kumaradasa (41, driver), civilians, killed in
LTTE attack on lorry on Kebitigollewa road; (Is. DM)
Suresh Kumar, Marketing Manager of ‘Uthayan’ newspaper and Ranjithkumar, working
in Circulation department, killed in attack on newspaper office in Jaffna; 5 others injured;
(DM, ML)
Selvaratnam Mathiseelan (22) trishaw driver, shot and killed near Kodikamam Fish
Market; (8th trishaw driver to be killed in past 3 months): (Tnet)
03: Arumugarajah Theivendran (54), trader shot and killed in Tirunelveli Jaffna, while in
hairdressing saloon; (Tnet)
Army Pvt. T.L. Liyanage killed while on road clearing patrol in Thandikulam, Vavuniya;
(DM)
8 Vanni cadres killed in attack on LTTE camp in Upparu, Trincomalee; (DN)
13
Ms. Sivagnansunderam Kalarani (50) shot and killed when a group of armed men shot at
a group of farmers returning from their field with rice straw bundles, in
Chinnavalayankattu, near Palampiddy, Mannar; two others were injured. This incident
was in the area controlled by the LTTE; (Tnet)
05: Selvaraja Suman (22), Velupillai Nimalan (22) three wheeler drivers; Nagarahnam
Naguleswaran (18), Balachandran Krishanthan (18), Thamotheramplillai Sharmilan (17),
Nvaratnarajah nesannah (19), Subramanium Subash (19), daily paid labourers; all from
Rajagramam model village, killed by army fire at army post near Nelliday petrol shed in
Jaffna; (Is.ML)
Danny Douglas and Pushpakumara, Home Guards, killed in claymore attack in
Chettikulam, Vavuniya; (Is.)
Sivagnanam Theepan shot and killed in Kovil Village in Kantalai while repairing his
lorry parked on the road close to Viknewswaran Vidyalayam; (Tnet)
06: attacks on LTTE positions in Mannar by so-called infiltrators; (Is.)
1 Policeman killed in attack at Puraporukki in Thenmarachchi, Jaffna; (Is.)
M. Wijesiri (31) Policeman attached to Batticaloa Police Station shot and killed near
Hindu College, Batticaloa; (Is.)
08: Pakiarasa Nareshkumar (21) of Thambuluvil shot and killed while on his bicycle;
(DM)
N.G. Wijeratna (52) Home Guard attached to Padaviya Police Station shot and killed
while in his home at night; (Is,)
50
M. Surendran (22), a barber, was shot dead inside his barber shop in Mutur; (TNet)
09: Seenithamby Yogeswaran, a fishmonger, shot and injured while traveling on motor
bicycle, near Kayankerni Army campl he died after admission to hospital; (Tnet)
12: 17 Navy personnel killed in attack on Navy Dvora in seas near Trincomalee; LTTE
also suffers heavy losses including 4 Sea Tigers, Lt. Col. Kaviyalaki, Lt. Col. Anpu, Lt.
Col. Sanchana; (DM)
K. Kandasamy (22) of Palanagar, Mutur, shot dead while having a hair cut in a barber
saloon; said to be LTTE supporter; (DM)
Balakumar (17) student shot dead on Church Road in Mutur; (DM)
14
One LTTE cadre shot and killed by STF when their road patrol was attacked at
Marathamunai;
Gnanam (45) owner of barber shop at Thambalai junction in Atchuvely, Jaffna, shot and
killed outside his shop in the morning;
13: 13 people killed in different incidents in Kayts island off Jaffna. (DM, ST)
Allaipiddy: Ketheeswaran Yathursan (4 months); Ketheeswaran Thanushkanth (4 years);
Agnes Esther Ketheeswaran (23); Palachamy Ketheeswaran (25); Sellathurai Amalathas
(28); Ganeshan Navaratnam (50);Joseph Anthonimuttu (64); Sinnathurai Sivanesan (46),
Velanai, Ratnam Senturan (38) owner of a tea shop was shot and killed and his shop set
on fire.
At the Puliankodal-Velanai junction 3 members of one family were shot and killed
inside: Murugesu Shanmugalingam (72), Parameswari Shamugalingam (65) S.
Kantharoopan (29), father, mother and son; Their Communication Centre and other shops
in the area were set on fire; 10 shops destroyed.
14: Corporal on duty at check point near Chundukuli girls’ School in Jaffna shot and
killed; (S.Is.)
LTTE cadre killed in Manipay by soldiers;
P, Kapilan (21) shot and killed in cordon and search operation following a grenade attack
on army patrol at Kopay junction on Jaffna-Point Pedro road;
Ramachandran Surendran (30) shot and killed near Avarangal junction, Atchuvely in the
morning;
P. Kandeepan (23) shot and killed at Pathameny junction in Atchuvely in the morning;
Corporal and Lance Corporal on a search operation at Nochchimade, Vavuniya, shot and
killed; (DM)
2 LTTE cadre shot and killed in Thoppur, Trincomalee;
2 Tamils killed in Periyapalam, Mutur; one on a motor bicycle, one in a tractor; identified
as Jeyachandran of Puliyaidchenai and Mathuran of Peruveli (Tnet)
One male shot dead at Kattankudy, opposite the bus stand;
16: Sureshkumar, a cadre of the Karuna faction, killed in raid on Batticaloa hospital; he
had been wounded in Welikanda attack some days previously; another wounded cadre,
Selvakumar, of the Karuna faction was wounded; (DM)
15
M.S.M Noor hacked to death in Mutur (DM);
1 LTTE cadre, female, Yalisai, killed by SL army personnel in Palamodai, Vavuniya;
G. Jeyaruban, working in Norwegian Refugee Council office, shot and killed in
Vavuniya;
17: R.M. Ranbanda. Home Guard attached to Thambalagamam Police Station killed in
claymore blast while on foot patrol;(DN)
Ms. Jeyamalar Sathikumar (31) killed when a grenade was lobbed into her house at
Kovilady, Thambalagamam;
2 soldiers, I.M. Lankasinghe and K.H.M.D. Jayawardena, killed by claymore explosion
on road clearing operation at Suriyawewa in Welikanda; (Tnet)
Dharmaratna, STF trooper, killed in claymore mine explosion on Main Street, Tirukkovil;
Selvaraja Girithas (35) private tutor, shot and killed at main bus stand in Jaffna while
drinking tea in the morning;
18: Balasunderam Kamalraj (26), TNA candidate for forthcoming election to
Navithanvely Pradesheeya Sabha and his escort, Samurdhi officer P. Sureshvaran (34)
shot and killed on Central Camp Road, Kalmunai; (DM, Is.)
Soldier shot dead at Muhamalai checkpoint; (DN)
Arumugam Sathasivam assaulted and shot dead in Thandikulam, Vavuniya; (Is.)
Lt. K.A.S. Kodituwakku and a solider killed in firing at FDL in Omanthai, Vavuniya;
(DN)
Suspected LTTEr killed in Kopay when he attempted to throw a grenade at an army
patrol; (DN)
Kandiah Thirumani (female) killed by assaulting with a club; body handed over to
Batticaloa hospital by ICRC and LTTE Police officers; (DM)
19: LTTE cadre ‘Neelan’ (23) shot and killed in Mankerny;
21: 1 soldier on mine clearing operation killed in mine explosion in Kalmadu, Vavuniya,
1 soldier killed in claymore explosion in Lingapuram, Serunuwara; I body of civilian also
found;
16
Selvarajah Ravichandran (12) student of Valaichchenai Hindu College, shot and killed
while standing outside his grandmother’s house in Mavadivembu, Eravur; (DM)
Gopal Balasubramanium, a trader of Mollipothana, Trincomalee, shot while leaving his
shop;
The Senior Commander of the LTTE in the East, Kandiah Ulaganathan (Ramanan, 40),
shot and killed by sniper near the LTTE forward defense line at Vavunativu; he was the
most senior LTTE cadre to be killed after the CFA; (DN, DM, Tamilnet)
22: Ignatius Ramson Barthelot (20) from Dutch Bar, Batticaloa, suspected LTTE
supporter, shot and killed near Ceylon Transport Board depot on BatticaloaTrincomalee Road.
Suresh Gunapalan (42) found dead with gun shot injuries in his vegetable farm in
Vidaththalpalai, Chavakachcheri, Jaffna;
Chandran Linton (15) and R. Mohan (25) who went hunting in jungles near Periya
Pandivirchchan near Madhu, killed in mine explosion;
.
One Tamil youth, alleged LTTE supporter, shot and killed by army between Chenkalady
Black Bridge and Kumaraveliyar village; (Tnet)
23 : Vadivel, who escaped from an LTTE training camp was shot and killed at
Thihiliveddai in Batticaloa;
1 soldier shot and killed in Omanthai, Vavuniya;
24: 2 soldiers and Police Constable killed in claymore explosion in Thandikulam,
Vavuniya
25 : Rajalingam Rajamurthy (21) a garage owner in Kalmunai, was shot dead in the
Manatchenai area in Kalmunai.
2 LTTE cadres who opened fire at soldiers engaged in road patrolling killed by
soldiers, near black bridge in Chenkalady. One, identified as Kannapan Rasanayagam,
died on the spot, another died in hospital;
One solider killed when LTTE cadres opened fire at soldiers on duty at the forward
defense line in Eerattaperiyakulam, Vavuniya.
One LTTE cadre killed in mine explosion inside FDL in Madhu area; (Tnet)
17
4 policemen killed in claymore blast in Kattankudy, Batticaloa;
1 person shot dead at Anuradhapura junction, Trincomalee;
A soldier and a civilian, identified as Sivanandan Sivakumar (40) a cleaner at the
Jaffna Teaching Hospital, were killed in a claymore mine explosion in Kokkuvil,
Jaffna;
26 : Ratnam Ratnarajah (48), Deputy director of Irrigation Department, Batticaloa and
Deputy Project Director of North-East Irrigated Agriculture Project (NEAP) shot and
killed near his home in Kalviyankadu, Batticaloa;
Arokyam Prasanna (28) from Navaladi, Batticaloa, a policeman serving at the
Batticaloa police shot and killed while on his way home after duty, on the road to the
Pillayar kovil in Kallady, Batticaloa.
Commander of LTTE Forward Defence Line, identified as Lt. Col. Veeramani, killed
in Nagarkovil in accidental explosion
A soldier killed when LTTE cadre opened fire at soldiers on foot patrol at Nallur
Jaffna;
Two persons on a motorcycle shot and killed at Adyapatham junction, Nallur, after the
above incident;
27 : L.Yasodaran (35) trader, shot and killed in front of his shop in Neervely on
Jaffna-Point Pedro Road;
Sellathurai Mather (75), candidate for Tamil National Alliance in local government
elections, shot and killed at his home in Atchuvely, Jaffna;
Sinnadorai Puviraj (40) owner of grocery shop in Atchuvely, shot and killed at his
home;
Puvendran Bolder Mayuran (27) owner of video rental shop, killed in Ariyalai, Jaffna;
N. Kanagasooriyan (29) of Kolavil, Akkaraipattu, shor and killed by gunmen on motor
bicycle;
Kanapthy Balu (12) and Vinayagamoorthy Nathan (15) killed when the tractor they
were traveling in was hit by aladnmine explosion in Thikiliveddy, uncleared area
beyond Kinniyadi lagoon, Eravur; 3 others were injured
18
1 LTTE cadre killed in Madhu;
Eight persons visiting Wilpattu National Park killed in mine explosion; top
businessman, award-winning author Nihal de Silva and WildLife Department
employee among them; (ST)
28 : Pooranam Sabesan (26), owner of communications centre on Moolai Road in
Vadukkodai, Jaffna, shot and killed while at his shop;
Tamil youth shot dead at Church Road, Mutur;
29: 12 Sinhala civilians shot and killed in Omadiyamadu, Welikanda, suspected to be
by LTTE; (DM)
Missing/Abducted/Disappeared
On May 9, the owner of a barbershop in Point Pedro, V. Gopi (26) was abducted. His
relative, K. Sivapathasunderam, who went to seek him out was detained and tortured
by SL army at check-point. A complaint has been registered at the Human rights
Commission office in Jaffna; (DM)
On May 6, Maheswaran Umatharan, a student on his way abroad for further studies,
disappeared while on his way to Colombo, along with his driver, Kandasamy
Eelarangan; both men had not passed the Omanthai checkpoint; the vehicle is also
missing; parents have complained to the Police (Tnet)
On May 12, reports said that 6 young men were abducted from the road in front of a
restaurant close to the University in Jaffna (DM).
On May 15, villagers reported the disappearance of Thiagarajah Kirubaharan (27) and
Jeyaratnam Jeyakanthan (22) cousins who were operating small shops near the tourist
site at Nilavarai on the Putur main road; blood stains were reportedly sighted inside
the shops; (Tnet)
On May 23, parents complained that their son, Kanapthipillai Ganeshkanthan (15) of
Kokkadicholai, had been abducted in Arasady, Batticaloa, while coming home after a
haircut; (DM)
On May 23, 3 students were abducted at gunpoint in Valaichchenai town in the
afternoon in front of witnesses, while returning from their OL tuition class; they were
later released by their abductors and found on the road to Valaichchenai.
19
On May 23, armed men in a white van abducted a student riding a bicycle near the
Vatharamoolai campus in Batticaloa;
On May 24, a complaint was registered at the Batticaloa Police that Thambichettiyar
Radha (44) an Indian national who was an itinerant cloth vendor, was missing.
This followed the incident in which another Indian national, Wijayakumar (30), who
was also a cloth vendor, was found murdered and dumped in a grave at the graveyard
in Pandimadu area, Vinayagapuram, Valaichchenai a few days previously.
On May 27, Mathavarajah Sathanandan (26) of Mutur was abducted while waiting for the
ferry on the Mutur jetty with his wife; some unidentified men in a while van took him
away according to his wife.
Bodies found:
On May 3, the headless bodies discovered in Avissawella were transferred to the
Kalubowila Hospital (Colombo South). Two bodies were identified on the basis of
birthmarks and other physical characteristics by family members as being those of
Sivasamy Sukumar (41), trishaw driver in Kotahena, missing since April 26;Mahalingam
Narendran (31), also missing since April 26. However, families were told that they must
wait for DNA results before the bodies could be handed over to them. They were also
told that they would have to pay for the DNA testing. (SO)
On May 1, a headless body was found in Vavuniya. On the 3rd, a head was found in
Vavuniya which was later identified as belonging to the body which in turn as identified
as that of Rasiah Dharmasekeran (27) a fruit vendor and alleged EPDP supporter. (DM)
On May 4, bodies of three blindfolded youth were found in Chettikulam, Vavuniya; they
had been gagged and stabbed to death (DM)
On May 8, the body of fisherman Sinnamuttu Sivalingam (43) from Kaluvankerny found
on Punnaikuda beach in Eravur, with knife injuries; he had been reported missing (Tnet)
On May 8, bodies of Veerakody Somarasa (60) and Thoppilan Periyasamy (58), workers
of the Forestry Protection Unit of the LTTE were found in the Panikkankulam jungle
west of Mankulam; they had been reported as missing on May 5. (Tnet)
On May 12, the body of Rasan Santhakumar (26) fisherman, missing from May 10 was
found in a grave in Karainagar, Jaffna, close to the SLN camp; he had earlier registered a
complaint at the HRC regarding the actions of the Navy after he and other fishermen
were injured in an earlier attack by SLN personnel.
On May 19, 2 dead bodies found on edge of Navalkuda tank in Kattankudy.
20
On May 22, the body of Premanandini (female, 32), from Nayan Market, Ramanathan
Road, Nallu, reported missing from the 19th, was found inside a well in Nallur.
On May 22, a body identified as being that of Piyantha, was found in the well at Pillayar
kovil, Tirukkovil
On May 22, the body of a young woman with fatal gun shot wounds was discovered
lying on the side of the Hamilton Canal in Periyamulla, close to the airport road. She had
been gagged and her hands tied behind her back
On May 23, the body of young male with gunshot wounds was recovered from
Pandimadu in Valaichchenai;
A decomposed body found at Vinayagapuram, Valaichenai and was identified as
Mahalingam Vijayakumar (30) an Indian national who worked as a cloth vendor and
who had been reported as missing from May 15th.
On May 24, the bodies of Muthukumar Devaraj (35) alias Kili, a mechanic and his
younger brother Krishnaraj (20) of Ganeshapuram, Mannar Road, Vavuniya were found
at Nelunkulama junction, with severe cut injuries.
On May 24, the body of T. Chandran, fish vendor, was found with gunshot injuries in a
paddy field on Pallikudirippu-Thopur road.
On May 25, the dead body of a youth identified as Sivagnanam Sanjeevan (28) was
found with cut injuries near the a Christian Church at Mallakam Junction in
Valigamam North, Jaffna
On May 29, the body of Madavarasa Sathananthan (26) from Kadattkaraichena, Mutur,
was found near the bridge close to the mosque in Mutur town. His wife had complained
to the Police that he was missing.
On May 31, the body of a woman was found on Oluvil beach.
Disappeared:
Rasanayagampillai Sivananthamoorthy (35, teacher and General Secretary of the Temple
Management Board), Markandu Pushpakanthan (26, and member of Temple
Management Board), Kandasamy Parimelakan (29), Ramachandran Rasakumar (22),
Ponnambalam Partheepan (18), Vaikundavasan Vaikundakumar (17), Selvaratnam
Sivananthan (17), Ratnam Thayaroopan (21) disappeared from the premises of the
Kerathu Amman kovil in Manthuvil, near Chavakachcheri Jaffna; the bodies have never
been officially found;
21
W.M. Kishorekumar (23) and Ganeshan (24) reported by families as missing in Jaffna;
Arrests:
May 1 : Navaratnam Anandan; detained in Alayadivembu, Akkaraipattu: (DM)
16 taken in at Chenkalady; 12 released, 4 kept back; (Is.)
11 arrested in cordon and search in Hendala, Wattala; persons who had arrived recently
from the N and E; (Is.)
May 2: 83 suspects taken in from Puttalam; workers in brick kilns, factories and farms in
Arachchikattuwa, Chilaw, Marawila, Wennappuwa, Dankotuwa, Nattandiya; all were
from N/E and plantations;. (DM)
IGP says over 300 persons had been taken in and 35 kept back for further questioning;
house to house searches and check points; (DM)
Tamil woman arrested in Badureliya, Agalawatte (DM)
May 3: ‘mystery’ female patient remanded; Chandrakala, who had been warded at
Gampola teaching hospital, was discharged but had not gone home; she could not clearly
state address or names of family members; (DM)
Sivaramya Sivanandan of Pinwatta Road, Dehiwela, arrested for ‘loitering in a suspicious
manner near the BMICH”; produced in court on May 5, granted bail; appearance called
for May 9.
May 4: Francis Xavier Tony Dineshkumar and Thangarajah Suvendran of 7/128 B, Nava
kelanipura, Wellampitiya arrested and detained; Dineshkumar was arrested on
information given by a bus driver that he was noting down road signs while traveling in a
bus;
12 persons arrested in Vavuniya following grenade attack on policemen in
Pandarakulam;
May 6: 11 suspects detained in Dehiwela in joint Police and army cordon and search
operation; residents of Vavuniya, Chavakachcheri and Jaffna;
T. Krishnadevan, detained at Kandy Railway Station;
May 8: Tilageswaran and Dayani, a young Tamil couple who had decided to rent
premises in Dematgoda for fear of extortion from the LTTE arrested and detained by
Dematagoda Police;
22
Fish trader engaged in making frequent trips to and from Mannar arrested along with two
others at house in Modera, on suspicion of using lorry to rig bomb;
26 year old youth operating a communications centre in Horape, Ragama, arrested for
passing information to LTTE
May 14: 4 suspected LTTE cadre arrested in Manipay, May 14;
13 young men from Jaffna arrested in Hambantota last week to be produced in court on
May 17 (DM)
Ponnadurai Jayanandan, native of Chavakachcheri, worked as translator for various
NGOs, remanded until May 26
May 27: five suspected Tigers including one woman arrested in Kandy; (Is.)
23