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Jaffna – a besieged and blacked out city of 600,000 people.

The city has been besieged and blacked out by the Sri Lankan military since 11 August, when clashes started between the Sri Lankan military and the LTTE. The A9 highway leading into Vanni and Jaffna from outside has been kept closed since August 12. Jaffna has been under 24 hour curfew for one week from 11 August. The curfew has been relaxed only for very short periods since then. Even then the curfew is not lifted at the same time through out Jaffna, thus preventing people from discovering the fate of friends or relatives elsewhere in Jaffna.

Such is the complete black out by the Sri Lankan military that no one knows for sure the fate of the people inside. Three large scale killing of civilians were reported over the period of 10 days from 11 to 21 August.

Large scale killing

Sri Lankan military fire during Muhamalai clashes, on 11 August, killed at least 7 civilians. On 13 August, military fire killed at least 15 civilians who had taken refuge at the Allaipiddy PhilipNeri church. Again on 18 August, military fire during clashes at Kilali killed around 20 civilians.

Accurate data are very difficult collect due to the continued blockade by the military. A few who have witnessed the military’s targeting of civilians and are courageous enough to speak out, like Fr Jim Brown of the Allaipiddy PhiliNeri church, are also disappeared by the military. Fr Jim Brown disappeared after going to Allaipiddy on 23 August. Catholic church in the Northeast is in a state of uproar over his disappearance.

A further 11 civilians have been reported killed in this period, two of them are Jaffna University students.

University students

Jaffna University students have been at the forefront of organizing several events, bringing the people of Jaffna together against the military occupation of Jaffna. The Sri Lankan military, therefore, has a grudge against the University students. Through out this year the University students have faced the brutal hand of the military through intimidation at road blocks, beating, searches, and attacks on their student union building.

It is in this environment that the military used the blackout through curfew as the cover to wipe out some student leaders. On 14 August, a University hostel accommodating 15 students was attacked with a grenade. One student was seriously injured. On 15 August, the two students, Sivasankar and Pratheepan were shot and killed by the military in front of the university. Again on 18 August the military entered the University Complex in tanks and heavy vehicles and ransacked the buildings and claimed that it found some weapons. The Vice Chancellor of the University who was present during this ransacking denied the military’s claim.

In the meantime, families of University students in Vanni have sought the assistance of Northeast Secretariat On Human Rights, NESOHR, to locate their children and bring them home. Students are trapped in Jaffna due to the border closure enforced by the military.

Disappearance

Disappearance in Jaffna has a very long history. In 1996 when the Sri Lankan military took over Jaffna more than 600 civilians disappeared. This was brought out only after Amnesty International delegation made a fact finding trip a few months later. Is this scenario repeating at present?

A minimum of 20 people have been counted as disappeared so far during the 10 day period. However, the toll will be much higher. This will only be confirmed when the military lifts the blockade of the city.

Fear

Throughout the year, death squad style killing has continued in Jaffna under the Sri Lankan military control. This has spread fear among the people to such an extent that no one can hope to live after speaking out against the death squads. The doisappearance of Fr Jim Brown exemplifies this situation.

27 August 2006

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