Sri Lanka military rule stepped up in North, wartime restrictions re-introduced

Pass system reintroduced ( File photo) Tu e s d a y, A p r i l 1 , 2 0 1 4 Clamping down on civilian life in the North, the occupying Sri Lankan military has re-introduced pass system for fishermen in the North to access their seas, putting up check posts on the roads, dawn to dusk search operations and military patrols of armed soldiers in the Northern province, especially targeting coastal areas. In the meantime, the occupying Sri Lankan military has arrested at least !! "elam #amils $etween %& 'arch and (& 'arch, news sources in )affna said. 'ost of them have $een arrested in a$duction style. #he iron fist control on the civilian life seeks to silence all activism and threatens the witnesses who have $een prepared to witness against the genocidal crimes $y the Sri Lankan State, rights activists in )affna told #amilNet. Civilian movement was at standstill during the nights as if a curfew has $een clamped down at several locations of the peninsula. *n Sunday, Sri Lankan military officers instructed the fishermen socieity representatives to get all the fishermen to register their $oats and o$tain passes from the military in order to access the sea. #housands of Sinhala soldiers were deployed from #ho+ndaimaan-aa+ru to ,adamaraadchi "ast, carrying out search operations, checking identity cards of the people on the streets and putting up check-posts. Similar instructions were given also to those who engage in fishing in the )affna lagoon. Search operations were also carried out in -urunakar area. SL soldiers have taken positions at fishing huts, market places and .unctions along the coastal $elt. /ll the fishermen entering the sea will $e checked and all those returning to the shore

will also $e checked with the passes provided to them $y the SL military, the fishermen have $een told. #he house of a former Sea #iger commander, who has $een released after SL military reha$ilitation was su$.ected to search $y the SL military throughout the whole day on Sunday at 'anthikai in ,adamaraadchi. No$ody was at home during the search. #he Sri Lankan soldiers have manned check-posts on /0 main road. "lephant 1ass and *amanthai points, which were almost dormant since the 1rovincial Council elections, have now $ecome a full-fledged check points as they were during the times of war. 1atrol groups, each consisting &-0 armed soldiers, were deployed on all .unctions and key localities. #he occupying SL soldiers snatched the identity cards of the civilians who were traveling on the streets during the night on (& 'arch. #hey were asked to come to near$y SL military camps on the following day to o$tain their identity cards $ack. 222 3ollowing are some of the details of the reported arrests in 'arch. Several other families and relatives have refused to provide the details of those who have $een detained or taken away $y the SL military intelligence operatives who call themselves as investigation officers from the #errorist Investigation 4ivision 5#I46 of the SL 1olice. 27 March 2014 #he #I4 has arrested a 78-year-old man, Sinnathurai Sreekanthan, a father of one and a former L##" mem$er, who has $een released after SL military reha$ilitation . #he arrest has taken place at 9daiyaar-kaddu. / driver, employed in the Northern 1rovincial Council 'inistry of "ducation, who has $een recently transferred from )affna to 'ullaith-theevu was arrested at ,avuniyaa $y the #I4. 26 March 2014 78-year-old 'ohan -ethees, a family man from #harumapuram in -i linochchi, currently residing at *addu-madam in )affna, was detained $y the #I4. :e was released on 3riday $y the Court. 25 March 2014 SL military indiscriminately assaulted four #amil youths, ;0-year-old -amalathas <a.endram, (!-year-old Salo.an /ugustin, (8-year-old Suren and (8-year-old Na.eetharan. #hey were taken away $y the occupying Sinhala soldiers and handed over to #I4 for further interrogations . #he youth were from -oo=haa-mu rippu, *ddu-

chuddaan in 'ullaiththeevu district. #I4 operatives detained (>-year-old /muthakaran #hurairasa from ,anni, working at -ommaanthu rai, 9duppiddi in ,adamaraadchi. :e was employed at a pharmacy run $y his $rother. ?hite van s@uads were searching for him for a few days and he had $een instructed to $e present at the #I4 interrogation office at Naavalar <oad in )affna. Now, he has $een sent to Colom$o for further investigations, according to the SL 1olice. 22 March 2014 -anthalyan from 'annaar, a trader selling iron, was arrested $y #I4 operatives during a search operation $y the SL military at ,addukkoaddai in )affna. 21 March 2014 #he occupying Sri Lanka Navy soldiers arrested a fisherman from -i linochchi at ,angkaalaip-paadu in 'annaar and handed him over to the Sri Lankan #I4 operatives. :e was residing in Chi ruth-thoappu and was engaged in fishing at ,angkaa laip-paadu. / couple from )affna 'r Loganathan and 'rs 'aheswary Loganathan, with their two kids, a A-year-old $oy and a >-year-old girl, were detained $y the #I4 from their residence at Sreeramapura :ousing Scheme in ,avuniyaa. 20 March 2014 #I4 operatives who came in a white van $rutally attacked 7&-year-old )eyaramesh Sa$aratnam, a fish trader and a father of two, at ,ettilaik-kea ni in ,adamaraadchi "ast and arrested him, 'ary Canista, his wife has complained. 18 March 2014 7!-year-old )aseeharan 'ylvaganam, a disa$led eB-L##" mem$er, now employed at a $akery, was arrested $y #I4 operatives at his house at 9daiyaar-kaddu in 'ullaiththeevu district. 16 March 2014 / former L##" mem$er, his wife and children aged A and ;%, have $een detained $y the Sri Lankan #I4 at 'oogkilaa ru in 'ullaiththeevu. 13 March 2014 88-year-old )eyakumari Calendran and her ;7-year-old daughter ,ipooshika Calendran were taken away after setting up an encounter-styled search operation at #harumapuram in -i linochchi district. )eyakumari, who has lost ( men in her family was searching for the remaining son who is allegedly in the Sri Lankan military custody after the war in ,anni. She has $een an activist mo$ilising the kith and kin of the missing persons in recent times.