The civilian Commission, appointed in September, headed by SG Punchihewa and Leela Isaac, was mandated to enquire into the impact of the war on the population in border areas. The Commission recorded evidence of 192 people in eight districts on the North-East Province border and received over 1,900 written complaints.
The Sri Lankan security forces have carried out atrocities against Tamils in border villages and the LTTE has massacred Sinhalese civilians. The Commission says that there have been large number of rapes and sexual abuse by soldiers. Civil administration is disrupted and the war is cited as an excuse for failure to implement development programmes. There are shortages of food and medicines and villages lack water supply and health facilities.
The Commission further notes that the entire Vavuniya town is run like an Army camp. Giving evidence before the Commission in early December, Public Health Inspector Kamalakumar Chelliah said that his family is held in a camp in Vavuniya since 1996 and police have denied permission to travel to Colombo, even for family weddings or funerals.
Jesurajah Thangamalar, also detained in a camp, told the Commission that her brother-in-law was abducted by unidentified men. Later she learned that he was in a Vavuniya military camp with both legs broken. The Army has denied that he is being detained.
The people in border areas say that only lasting peace in the country would ensure normalcy in border villages. They have earnestly pleaded with the government to pursue peace efforts and end the war without delay.