Jaffna welcomes you
THE archway leading to Jaffna town on the Chavakachcheri road proclaims=
"Jaffna welcomes
you". The archway adjoins the Army sentry point where 18 year-old student=
Krishanthy
Kumarasamy was gang-raped and then murdered by soldiers.
Krishanthy=92s mother Rasammah, brother Pranavan and a neighbour who went in=
search of her
were killed at the same sentry point on 7 September. Police say six soldiers=
and three policemen
have been arrested in connection with the killings. Six other soldiers were=
arrested in mid-October
accused of the rape and murder of Kondavil resident Rajani Velayuthapillai,=
23.
A number of demonstrations have been held in Colombo and Jaffna against=
human rights
violations. Government ally the Tamil United Liberation Front (TULF)=
launched a campaign in
late October to highlight arbitrary arrests and disappearances in=
Jaffna.
TULF MP Neelan Tiruchelvam has urged President Chandrika to order an=
investigation into over
80 recent disappearances in the peninsula. The Ceylon Tamil Teachers Union=
says its member
Nagamuthu Selvaratnam, 57, arrested on 14 June at a checkpoint in=
Pungankulam has
disappeared.
Army control remains fragile as the Tigers infiltrate Jaffna peninsula with=
ease. Cordon and search
operations are conducted daily. The military screening process is slow and=
entire families are
forced to spend many hours in the open without food or water.
In a clash at Oddupalli in Thenmaratchy on 5 October, four soldiers were=
killed. The following
day three Tigers died in a naval attack near Nagarcoil. Eleven civilians=
were injured on 18 October
in a Tiger grenade attack on a checkpoint in Jaffna town. Shells fired from=
Chunnakam Army
camp on 25 October killed two people and seriously wounded 20 others in a=
refugee camp in
Thirunelveli.
Reports say sufficient food is reaching Jaffna, but distribution=
difficulties remain. Jaffna=92s
Government Agent S Pathmanathan has decided to begin rice cultivation in=
6,500 hectares,
including lands of displaced people. The UN Food and Agricultural=
Organisation (FAO) has
already provided 700 tonnes of seed paddy. FAO will also provide some=
assistance to fishermen.
Currently fishing is allowed in the narrow strip from Kakaitivu to=
Araliturai between the peninsula
and the Jaffna islands. The ban on night fishing continues. Fish prices=
remain high and fishermen
say they cannot obtain fishing equipment in Jaffna. The 13-year war has=
badly hit education in
Jaffna. Of 184,000 students in 1995 only 87,000 are currently attending=
school and 4,100 of 6,400
teachers have returned to work. Jaffna=92s Education Director says 378=
schools are functioning and
17 are badly damaged.
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