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Mannar Bishop Rayappu Joseph describes military’s violence in Mannar

-The Sri Lankan Navy allows the fishermen to go fishing and then harasses and threatens them while they are at sea, effectively stopping the fishermen from going to sea.

-The criminals who killed for civilians including a toddler in Pesalai on December 23rd must be brought to justice.
-On that day civilians in Pesalai were attacked brutally and their possessions were burnt and stolen.

-When asked to let the displaced people to go back to their homes the Sri Lankan Navy is asking what guarantee can be given for the Navy’s safety.

-These have been taken up with the top government leaders. We only get a reply assuring us that these will not happen again. No effort is made to find and punish the criminals who committed the crime.

-Some events forces one to suspect that actions have been taken to defame my church and myself. On December 29th the military informed me that there is a claymore mine on a tree in front of my residence in Thalvuppadu in Mannar. This is only 200 meters from the military camp. This area is under very heavy 24 hour surveillance. I asked the military why they are informing me. I then informed the police. Before the police arrived, the claymore was removed by the military. They refused to hand over that claymore to the police even though the police requested it.

-On the same day another claymore was said to have been removed from the Mannar-Mathvachchi road and the news papers and other media said that a claymore was removed from the famous Madu church.

13 January 2006

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