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Situation report – 6 Feb 2007

IDPs from Sampur to Vaharai are presently stationed by the GoSL in Chavukkadi, a location south of Batticaloa town. That is 85 Kms from Sampur.

The Sampur IDPs are expressing frustration that they are being stationed so far away from their home, preventing them from visiting their home to collect produce and check on their homes.

The Chavukkadi location is also not readily accessible to all humanitarian agencies and media thus preventing news about their plight reaching the outside world.

The IDPs are also concerned about the activities of the Karuna group who have started abducting people among the IDPs.

It is worth noting that the latest SLMM report also expressed concern about the abductions by the Karuna group among the IDPS.

Jaffna fishermen swim to safety following Sri Lankan Navy attack

On 5 February, Ponnaih Yogan and his father-in-law Kandasamy were at sea fishing in the Vadamaradchi seas off the northern coast of Jaffna. Around 5.00am, Sri Lankan Naval boats approached their fishing boat and began firing. The two frightened fishermen jumped from the boat and reached the shore after several hours of swimming. The Navy destroyed their boat and the fishing nets worth several thousand Rupees.

Jaffna University & the ripped Lankan flag

On 4 Feb, to mark the Lankan Independence Day as a day of mourning, black flag was hoisted inside the Jaffna University campus. The Sri Lankan military entered the University and ripped the black flag and hoisted the Lankan flag and then brought it down.

The military then took the University acting Vice Chancellor to the Urelu military camp and interrogated him for failing to hoist the Lankan flag on 4 Feb. A few hours after releasing the acting Vice Chancellor, the military entered the University again and brought the acting Vice Chancellor and Deans of Faculties at gun point to the flag post and forced them to hoist the Lankan flag.

Once the military left University, angered students ripped the hoisted Lankan flag. The next day the military entered the University again and searched for the ripped Lankan flag.

Killed & disappeared:
On 5 February, at 6.00pm, a father and son from Natpiddymunai in Kalmunai were shot dead by GoSL operated forces in Kaluvanchikudi near a construction site where the pair was working as masons. The killed are Ganeson aged 40 and his son aged 20. The incident occurred in the GoSL controlled part of Batticaloa.

Markandu Vijayasuresh, aged 34, has gone missing since 10 January after he left home for to attend to his retail business. His sister has lodged a complaint at the Jaffna branch of the human rights commission.

Yoharasa Mathanraj of Nallur in Jaffna was arrested at the Lodge in Koddanchenai in Colombo and was released on 31 January. His parents have lodged a complaint at the Jaffna branch of the human rights commission saying that he has since gone missing. Mathanraj contacted his family in Jaffna from Colombo as soon as he was released to let them that he has been released on 31 January.

Member of parliament, Rathakrishnan, from Upcountry, have lodged a complaint with the Chief of Police in Colombo that safety of the Tamils are increasingly threatened in Colombo.

Accident caused by shelling in Jaffna

K Sivachandran, a fisherman from Kaddaikadu, and other fishermen were stationed in Vadamaradchi east, an LTTE area, for their livelihood. Sri Lankan military has been constantly shelling this and other areas for the last few days. Sivachandran was on his motorbike when shells started falling nearby. He sped on his motorbike hit a dog and is in hospital with severe injuries.

06 February 2007

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