Communal killings return to the east
Burned alive
ETHNIC violence erupted at Oddamavady in Batticaloa District after a Muslim Home Guard was shot dead on 9 February by alleged LTTE gunmen. Angry mobs burned two Tamils alive and hacked three others to death. Three Muslims were butchered in Karuvakerni. As panic spread Posts Deputy minister MLAM Hisbullah rushed to the scene to attempt reconciliation.
As Mr Hisbullah was arranging a peace conference, Oddamavady village was shelled on 10 February killing two Muslims and injuring seven others. The Muslim village came under shell attack again four days later wounding 12 people. UNP MP Alishahir Moulana says the shells were fired from Army-held areas.
The Mavadivembu Army camp was attacked at 1.30am on 2 February. Thirteen soldiers were killed and 12 others injured. Three civilians also died in the assault. Following the attack the Army shelled Chenkalady killing two civilians and wounding nine others.
Paithalai village resident T Parameswaran, 19, was killed by shells from the Valaichenai Paper Mills Corporation Army camp on 11 February. Two other civilians were injured in shelling at Pirainthuraichenai four days later. Ten more people were seriously wounded in a grenade attack on a Valaichenai market on 16 February.
Following a LTTE attack on a police office in Valaichenai town in early February, the Army demolished parapet walls on the Valaichenai-Kalkudah main road and several other roads, using armoured vehicles. People were ordered to help remove all fences and cut down trees to deny cover for the LTTE. The military also carried out a house to house search in villages on 18 February. Over 200 people, including many from the Paithalai refugee camp were taken to the police station for interrogation.
Further south in Amparai District, the body of rice mill worker Subramaniam Ganeshan was handed over by the police to the Kalmunai hospital in early February. Tamil MP P Selvarajah has written to President Chandrika demanding an enquiry into his death. Another MP A Rasamanickam says seven Tamil youths were beaten up and injured when they went for their regular reporting at the Special Task Force Central Camp.
In Trincomalee District seven Tigers were killed in a clash at Sitraru on 2 February. On the same day the Army began a search operation in Trincomalee town. Large number of people were paraded before Thalayattis or masked informers and a few suspects detained.
Trinco residents say rents and other costs are rising sharply as more and more people arrive from Vavuniya. People complain that cost of travel by ship from Trincomalee to the north was increased four-fold to Rs 750 in February. A woman and three youths boarding the ship Tharaki on 18 February were arrested on suspicion of LTTE links.
Next article.
Back to Sri Lanka Monitor Index page.
Back to The Refugee Council Welcome page.