After the Emergency lapsed, President Chandrika introduced regulations under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA), declaring all 25 administrative districts of the island as security zones. Some areas in Colombo were declared ‘high security zones’ and heavy vehicles were banned to prevent suicide attacks. The President also re-imposed the ban on the LTTE under the PTA on 11 July and invoked provisions of Part III of the Public Security Ordinance, which grant her powers without the declaration of a state of Emergency.
In early July, Inspector General of Police Lucky Kodituwakku warned that the LTTE may launch attacks in southern Sri Lanka to commemorate Black July and target Colombo city, taking advantage of the political crisis in the country. The police also said that a woman LTTE cadre had escaped to Colombo after the presence of four Black Tiger suicide bombers was detected in Vavuniya and Trincomalee.
Fifteen Tamils were taken into custody on 2 July. According to the Sri Lankan Human Rights Commission (HRC), seven people, including Satkunam Rathi of Vavuniya are detained at Kotahena suburb police station. Three are held at the Slave Island police station. Two others were arrested when they went to see a detainee at the station in mid-July.
Allegations of torture by security forces continue to persist. In July, the Committee into Undue Arrest and Harassment (CIUAH) demanded an investigation into allegations of torture against a policeman named M Zanoon at the Amparai police station. The HRC say that a number of Tamils suffered severe torture at the Counter Subversive Unit (CSU) of the police station.
Driver M Yogarajah was arrested in September 2000 and handed over to the CSU, where Mr Zanoon poured hot water into his mouth and forced him to eat animal dung. He was beaten repeatedly with batons. Bakery worker N Rasalingam was also detained in September last year. Hot water was poured into his mouth and his left eye was injured when he was trampled. His head was covered with a plastic bag dipped in petrol and he was beaten with batons. He was forced to sign a confession under torture. Chilli powder was forced into the mouth of A Reginald and he was also forced to drink water from the sewage.