According to reports, naval officers have requested the Jaffna government secretariat to survey lands around the CEYNOR seafood factory on Karaitivu Island, west of the Jaffna peninsula. Local people believe that the survey is a prelude to acquisition of private lands for the extension of the naval base on the island. Reports also say civilians are being used as forced labour in the construction of a new military camp in Vadamaratchy.
The Jaffna Council of NGOs says that programmes of UN agencies in the peninsula are being used to strengthen the Sri Lankan government machinery and are not benefiting the people. The Council also complains that local NGOs have not been permitted involvement in development work.
The office of the Sri Lankan Human Rights Commission (HRC) in Jaffna has received a number of complaints on arrests. K Alagendran and S Uthayakumar were arrested in Erlalai in early April. F Jeyakumar and S Sasikumar of Jaffna town and Arani Chandran of Vasavilan were detained on 10 April. HRC officer Gowri Suntharalingam says 40 people are held at Kankesanthurai military camp. Among those detained are K Nagendrarani and her one year-old child. The Army shot dead student S Jegan on 4 April in Urumpirai following an LTTE attack. A 28 year-old woman says that soldiers gang-raped her at Atchuveli South on 6 February.
Urumpirai resident N Nirmalakanthan, 17, is missing since 25 March. G Subashkaran, 15, of Anaikottai and Kopai resident R Sutharsan went missing on 25 April. Ms Suntharalingam has requested the Tamil groups operating in Jaffna - EPDP and PLOTE - to inform the HRC when recruiting Jaffna youths. The military has also begun a recruitment drive in the peninsula and has set-up recruiting centres.
Patrols and search operations where LTTE infiltration is suspected, have been intensified. Four soldiers were killed in a landmine attack at Thanmakerni, six miles north-west of Elephant Pass, on 3 April. Suspecting that the Tigers are using empty buildings, the Army has instructed all Grama Sevakas (Village Headman) in Valikamam West to make a list of all unoccupied houses. The Army has also sought the assistance of Grama Sevakas to investigate the disappearance of some 25,000 identity cards in Jaffna within the last two months.