• 13 Tamil civilians abducted after reinstatement of PTA
  [TamilNet, Thursday, 07 December 2006, 12:07 GMT]

Thirteen civilians, including a former Halo Trust personnel, in Jaffna district were abducted Wednesday night after the Government of Sri Lanka reinstated the draconian Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA) Wednesday. Nine civilians from Kalviyankadu, Kadaipirai, Dutch road areas in Valigamam east were abducted Wednesday night by armed men alleged to be Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and police, residents in these areas said. The same night four civilians in Valigamam north were abducted by SLA, according to complaints made by the relatives of the abducted, at the Jaffna office of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (SLHRC).

SLA has refused to provide any written evidence to acknowledge that they have "arrested" the disappeared civilians, the relatives told SLHRC.

Complaints regarding the nine abducted from Valigamam east are yet to be registered with the SLHRC Jaffna, the relatives of the abducted said.

Meanwhile, Thiyaganagalingam Sundaralingam, 48, a trader and a resident of Ambanai, Tellipalai was abducted by SLA troopers on December 3 around 11:50 p.m from his house located within the SLA High Security Zone (HSZ), according to complaints made by his wife Kamalambikai Sundaralingam to the Jaffna SLHRC. Kamalambikai said that her husband was taken away by SLA troopers, but when she complained it to the SLA authorities, they had refused to provide information.

SLHRC officials are in direct contact with the Commander of the SLA Jaffna Maj. Gen. Chandrasiri regarding Sundaralingam's case but no further information about the arrest is known, Rights sources said.

Meanwhile, the bodies of three victims who died in the claymore blast Wednesday near the Pannai Bridge were identified by their family members Thursday morning as Thambaiah Theivendram, 48, his wife Pavalamany Theivendram, 46, their granddaughter Nanthakumar Pirasanthini, 4, all residents of Ward No. 4 in Punguduthivu, hospital sources said.

Another granddaughter of the couple, Shanthakumar Sharmila, 3, seriously injured in the blast, is being treated at the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) in Jaffna Teaching hospital.

The fourth victim who died in the claymore blast was identified as Chellaiah Ragunathan, 50, the owner of Sandilipay Chelliah Anthiranix shop in the Jaffna market.

Ragunathan was killed while riding his motor cycle by the site of the blast. Vaseekaran 21 of Velanai, another seriously injured civilian in the blast, is also receiving treatment at the ICU.