Demilitarization in Action: Four Houses Robbed at Gunpoint in Union Kulam, Kilinochchi

On February 27, 2012 between midnight and 1am, four houses in the villages of No- KN/6 Union Kulam, Karaichi AGA Division, KilinochchiDistrict were robbed. Money, jewelry and other things were taken by three unidentified men during that time. All victims were robbed at gunpoint. The thieves were also carrying some sharp knives. Notably, Sri Lankan Army camps are situated all around Union Kulam. Because of this, community members were very surprised that thieves were able to rob so many houses without attracting the attention of military personnel. Thethieves knew a few Tamil words and all carried weapons---including a gun, a knife and an axe. Victims said that all three had painted their faces black so that they could not be identified. First, the thieves entered a female-headed household on Cross Street (also known as School Street) in Union Kulam. They threatened the woman and her elderly parents at gunpoint. The thieves stole a gold chain and some money before departing. Afterwards, the thieves entered another house which is situated approximately 500 meters away from the previously mentioned house. This house is located approximately 200 meters from Cross Street (also known as School Street). At this house, a forty-seven-year-old man and his family were also threated with the same weapons as the first family that was robbed. At this house, thieves stole money, a gold chain and a cellular phone. After the second robbery, the thieves went to another mans house. There, they threatened family members and robbed some money, gold jewels and two cellular phones. After the third robbery, the group of thieves went to a thirty-two-year-old mans house which is situated on 3rd Cross Street (which is different from the Cross Street which is referenced above). The thieves robbed an elderly woman, the homeowners mother. They took some gold bangles she was wearing at the time. Sadly, one of thsse bangles was a priceless possession. She bought that bangle with her first salary which she earned by working in a paddy field nearly sixty years ago. This robbery was an extremely traumatic experience for this woman because she lost her most cherished possession.Thieves also took a ring that a five-year-old boy, the homeowners son, was wearing. After the fourth robbery, all three men ran to Union Kulam Junction. When the thieves left from the fourth house,1 the homeowner began to scream and chased after the men. A small group of neighbors also chased the thieves. The thieves got angry because people were running after them. One of the thieves fired a single shot at the group of men who were chasing them. A nineteen-year-old man who works in a welding shop near Union Kulam Junction heard the shot that was fired and the subsequent exclamations and ran to the scene. This man arrived with some wooden poles; evidently, he was planning to attack the assailants. The thieves shot at the nineteen-year-old once, but he was not injured. The gunshot damaged the roof of the welding shop where he works. The thieves then moved to the intersection of Konavil Street and Skandhapuram Street. They went on foot to a place near St. Anthonys Church in Union Kulam. At that time, they escaped on a motorbike which was parked near St. Anthonys Church and absconded without turning on their headlight. They went in the direction of lights to avoid an army checkpoint on their way to Kilinochchi 2.
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The 7th Infantry Regiment Division Army Camp is situated near the area where all four robberies took place. A group of three soldiers usually look after the security detail in this particular camp. Usually, army personnel will check and investigate people who travel on the road after 10pm in this area. The thieves who committed the crimes mentioned above must have crossed the checkpoint located in front of the 7th Infantry Regiment Division Army Camp; it is very surprising that army personnel did not notice this group of thieves. Many community members living in the area have explicitly mentioned how odd it is that the thieves were not detected by army personnel at the time of their escape (at 2.30am). Notably, this army camp is located 4 kilometers away from Kandikiramam, a village that the thieves went through when they escaped. There is another army camp located in this village. Community members do not understand how this could have happened given the militarys strong presence in this area, again leaving people with (justifiable) suspicions that military is closely linked to these crimes. Community members informed Skanthapuram Army officials on guard that night about these incidents shortly after they occurred. Instead of taking immediate action, army personnel asked community members to file a complaint with the armys Kilinochchi headquarters. On February 28, 2012 at around 2.30am all four households who were robbed informed army personnel at the checkpoint in Union Kulam which is located in Puthumurippu. However, no investigations were conducted by that group. However, army members from Akkarayan Army Camp in Kilinochchi came after 10am and asked community members about the incident. Additionally, when all four households went to file a complaint at the Akkarayan police station located 1 kilometer away from Union Kulam, next to the Akkarayan Maha Vidyalaya (a public school). Yet police officers refused to accept those complaints since gunshots were fired during the incident.Because of this, people were instructed to go to the Kilinochchi Police Station---the main police station in Kilinochchi which is located 17 kilometers away from Union Kulam3.A General in charge of the Sri Lankan Armys Kilinochchi District Headquarters, police officers from the Kilinochchi Police Department and army intelligence officers all conducted further inquiries on the late morning of February 28, 2012. Dogs were also used by policemen. Nonetheless, no one could find any information about the perpetrators involved in the four thefts which occurred in Union Kulam. Several similar robberies at gunpoint have recently occurred in Kanakapuram, Selvanagar, Puthumurippu and Uruththirapuram---all of which are located in Kilinochchi. When investigating these incidents, army personnel caught a few people who were wandering around with sticks on the roads at night, but no arrests were made. (It is not known exactly where army personnel encountered these people). It appears that these recent robberies were well planned. This was the harvest time, when people will usually be in possession of valuable jewelry. Normally, inquiries of this nature are conducted exclusively by the police. For some reason, that did not happen on this occasion.

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Please refer to the maps below. Please refer to the maps below.

Union Kulam Kilinochchi District

Military Point

Military Camp

Police Station

Robbery Area

Thieves escaped through this way

Houses Robbed

Kilinochchi road

Movement of the Thieves

Army check point

Unionkulam Junction