The meeting was arranged to provide information to the public about the excavation of mass graves around Chemmani. The investigation follows claims by soldier Somaratne Rajapakse that bodies of people killed in Army custody are buried at Chemmani. Seventeen skeletons have so far been found. Mr Rajapakse has expressed surprise that many of the 26 gravesites identified by him did not contain human remains.
Mr Rajapakse has also identified 20 soldiers involved in the disappearance of civilians in Jaffna in 1996. Jaffna magistrate M Ilancheliyan ordered the police to carry out investigations and postponed court hearings to 6 December.
State Counsel Yasantha Kothagoda said at the Central College meeting that complaints against security forces could be made to police officers of the Criminal Investigation Department (CID). Observers say people are reluctant to complain to the CID for fear of reprisals. Relatives have complained to the Human Rights Commission that Mahadevan Mathivathanan, 24, is missing since 17 September.
NGOs say that 45,000 Jaffna fishermen continue to suffer as a result of Army restrictions on fishing. Fish production in the peninsula in 1983 was nearly 50,000 tons. It fell to 2,420 tons in 1998. Fishermen say the time allowed for fishing is inadequate and there is no proper storage or marketing facilities.
Following a report by the National Water Resources Development Board, Fisheries minister Mahinda Rajapakse said on 28 September that he had instructed officers to solve the problems of Jaffna fishermen. Minister Rajapakse says that he would also take up the issue at Cabinet level. But observers believe that it is unlikely that the Defence Ministry will cooperate with the Fisheries Ministry.
Reports say ship services to Jaffna remain a problem and prices in the peninsula continue to rise. Some private firms have accused the government of preferential treatment and denying them permits to run services. Tamil MP Joseph Pararajasingham says it is cheaper to send goods to the US than to Jaffna. The LTTE threat to ships in the eastern sea remains a concern. The military say the Tigers damaged a Chinese ship with a rocket-propelled grenade on 25 September. The ship was carrying fertilizer to Chennai (Madras).
A soldier was injured in a Tiger grenade attack on a checkpoint at Thirunelveli on 27 September. Three days later, a soldier was killed and two others were wounded by a claymore mine in Navakkiri.