Reports say that the Army holds only the larger towns in the east and the rural areas are increasingly coming under Tiger control, as troops are withdrawn for northern military operations. There is fear and insecurity as various factions seek out opponents. Tension between the Tamil and Muslim communities heightened in Batticaloa after Muslim youth M Refaideen went missing on 10 September. Suspicion fell on the LTTE and the security forces searched Tamil homes south of Batticaloa town. A hartal or general strike was staged in Muslim-dominated Kattankudy. The youth returned after two days and said he left home following a quarrel with his father.
TELO member S Thilakanathan was shot dead by the LTTE on 10 September at Chenkalady. S Sarojadevi and Sothilingam were killed on 24 September by an Army shell in Vaharai. Over 750 men were detained by the Army in Valaichenai on 6 September and later released. T Pushpanathan and M Jeevakanthan were arrested in Arayampathy two days later, on suspicion of LTTE links. Development NGO, Sarvodaya’s officer, K Kanagaratnam was detained on 16 September.
The LTTE shelled Murakottanchenai Army camp on 16 September. An Army shell fired in retaliation exploded inside the Ramakrishna Mission school and students fled from the classes. The Panichchankerni Army base on Vaharai road came under Tiger shell attack on 30 September. Three soldiers were injured.
Reports say the LTTE is hijacking bicycles and bullock carts in the east and demanding ransom. Twenty five carts belonging to Muslim traders in Oddamavady were taken away in early September. The Tigers also hijacked a fishing boat with two fishermen.
In Trincomalee District, two fishermen from Salli were shot dead on 19 September. LTTE’s Pistol Group killed two soldiers at Muthur, including military intelligence officer, A Sivanathan. A civilian I Amirthalingam was also killed.
In mid-September, the TULF protested to President Chandrika, after Trincomalee commander Brig. Lawrence Fernando ordered 270 Linganagar Tamil families to vacate homes, claiming that the area is needed for the military. People say the Army drove out 47 families in 1996 and demolished their houses.
Some 3,000 of the 7,000 people in Trincomalee District who received dry rations have been denied food aid from July. Reports say that the government has also ordered reduction of poverty relief to poor families by 25%.