131 killed in Jaffna in 2 months – besides war dead

Apart from the deaths caused by shelling and other acts of war, 131 people have been victims of individual killings, the Jaffna office of the Sri Lanka Human Rights Commission (SLHRC) said in a report submitted to its Colombo Head office last week.

The SLHRC report listed, 87 residents as forcibly disappeared in the months of August and September, 50 in August and 37 until Monday last week.

44 Tamil civilians have been reported missing after arrest by the Sri Lankan armed forces in the months of August and September in Jaffna district.

Of the 44 residents who were missing after arrest by the Sri Lankan Army as reported to the SLHRC by the relatives of the victims, 26 reports were registered in August and 18, so far in September.

13 residents have been forcibly disappeared in September after abduction by the "white van" squad believed to be operated by Sri Lanka Army.

According to the report, 131 residents were killed in the Jaffna peninsula in the months of August and September by extra judicial killings, retaliatory firings after mine explosions. In all, 64 in August and 67 until Monday last week.

Apart from the individual killings, around 40 civilians were reportedly killed in Allaipiddy in artillery shelling in August. So far, 25 deaths have been verified by humanitarian and legal sources. Relatives of 12 more civilian victims have appealed to the Jaffna regional office of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka seeking help to remove the bodies lying inside the houses located in Ward No: 4 of Allaipiddy.

11 civilians were killed in Thenmaradchchy since August 11 following continued SLA artillery shelling and Multi-barrel rocket attacks on civilian centres in the region.

The government of President Mahinda Rajapakse denied the involvement of Sri Lankan forces in the disappearances and classified the reports of forced disappearances as "Tamil Tiger propaganda."