Several protests against abductions by Army-backed Tamil paramilitaries have taken place in Sri Lanka’s volatile eastern province since the talks in Geneva since the Liberation Tigers and the Colombo government.
The issue of paramilitaries has gained in prominence amongst all communities throughout Sri Lanka as it appears to be the single factor that could determine the success or failure of the ongoing talks.
Muslims organized a hartal in Kattankudy, Batticaloa on Saturday to protest the escalating violence by paramilitaries against their community and the Tamils.
On Friday, four motorcycles belonging to Muslims were stolen by paramilitary cadres. Angered by this theft and escalating abductions in the wider Batticaloa district, Muslims organized a village-wide shut down.
The protest was observed by transport services and business services. Angry protestors also damaged 3 government buses and burned tires along the main highway.
Muslim officials in Valaichenai said that members of the paramilitary Karuna group, posing as Liberation Tigers, have attacked Muslim civilians, accusing them of establishing a Muslim paramilitary group.
Protestors Saturday also said the most recent thefts exemplified the concerted attempt to manufacture communal violence between the Tamil and Muslim communities.
On Friday, the people of Batticaloa district protested against increasing abductions of young metn and boys by Army-backed paramilitary cadres in the district.
A hartal resulted in businesses, government offices, markets, schools, and banks being closed to decry the violence.
The protests angered paramilitary cadres, suspected to be part of the Karuna Group. Nine paramilitary cadres entered the Ceylon Transport Board depot and beat the drivers and conductors, while demanding they drive the buses in spite of the district-wide strike.
Protestors later blocked the main roads with burning tires, triggering the deployment of SLA troops and policemen.
At least nine youths were abducted from Batticaloa last week, enraging the local community and sparking concerns that the peace talks will beak down as Sri Lanka fails to honour pledges made in Geneva.
The youth were abducted last Monday by Sinhala-speaking paramilitary troops in military fatigue. They were aged between 15 and 20 and were all laborers.
Five were abducted from the Tiger-controlled Murithanai, 5 km west of where two bicycling 15-year olds were abducted later in Valaichenai. Two other youth were kidnapped in Urani later Monday evening.
Batticaloa District Political Head of the LTTE, Daya Mohan, said Sri Lanka Army soldiers and paramilitary cadres took the youth to a safe house attached to a SLA 23-3 Division camp.
Two Valaichenai students abducted by paramilitaries riding in a white van on Monday were released after angry protests on Wednesday.
Valaichenai Hindu College students, Jeyaraj Kirisanth and Suthaharan Kulosan, abducted Monday in front of ZOA (a foreign NGO) office in Valaichenai, were released by the captors and arrived at the Valaichenai Veterinary Hospital in a bus.
Within ten minutes of their arrival, Valaichanai Police officers arrived at students’ homes and took the students to the Police Station for investigations.
On Wednesday, a Valaichenai-wide hartal was observed and Valaichenai Hindu College in Batticaloa was closed as protesters demanded the release of students.
Protesters burnt two buses that defied the hartal, one near Vallaichenai Police station and the other near Karuvakerni junction.
The issue of paramilitaries has gained in prominence amongst all communities throughout Sri Lanka as it appears to be the single factor that could determine the success or failure of the ongoing talks.
Muslims organized a hartal in Kattankudy, Batticaloa on Saturday to protest the escalating violence by paramilitaries against their community and the Tamils.
On Friday, four motorcycles belonging to Muslims were stolen by paramilitary cadres. Angered by this theft and escalating abductions in the wider Batticaloa district, Muslims organized a village-wide shut down.
The protest was observed by transport services and business services. Angry protestors also damaged 3 government buses and burned tires along the main highway.
Muslim officials in Valaichenai said that members of the paramilitary Karuna group, posing as Liberation Tigers, have attacked Muslim civilians, accusing them of establishing a Muslim paramilitary group.
Protestors Saturday also said the most recent thefts exemplified the concerted attempt to manufacture communal violence between the Tamil and Muslim communities.
On Friday, the people of Batticaloa district protested against increasing abductions of young metn and boys by Army-backed paramilitary cadres in the district.
A hartal resulted in businesses, government offices, markets, schools, and banks being closed to decry the violence.
The protests angered paramilitary cadres, suspected to be part of the Karuna Group. Nine paramilitary cadres entered the Ceylon Transport Board depot and beat the drivers and conductors, while demanding they drive the buses in spite of the district-wide strike.
Protestors later blocked the main roads with burning tires, triggering the deployment of SLA troops and policemen.
At least nine youths were abducted from Batticaloa last week, enraging the local community and sparking concerns that the peace talks will beak down as Sri Lanka fails to honour pledges made in Geneva.
The youth were abducted last Monday by Sinhala-speaking paramilitary troops in military fatigue. They were aged between 15 and 20 and were all laborers.
Five were abducted from the Tiger-controlled Murithanai, 5 km west of where two bicycling 15-year olds were abducted later in Valaichenai. Two other youth were kidnapped in Urani later Monday evening.
Batticaloa District Political Head of the LTTE, Daya Mohan, said Sri Lanka Army soldiers and paramilitary cadres took the youth to a safe house attached to a SLA 23-3 Division camp.
Two Valaichenai students abducted by paramilitaries riding in a white van on Monday were released after angry protests on Wednesday.
Valaichenai Hindu College students, Jeyaraj Kirisanth and Suthaharan Kulosan, abducted Monday in front of ZOA (a foreign NGO) office in Valaichenai, were released by the captors and arrived at the Valaichenai Veterinary Hospital in a bus.
Within ten minutes of their arrival, Valaichanai Police officers arrived at students’ homes and took the students to the Police Station for investigations.
On Wednesday, a Valaichenai-wide hartal was observed and Valaichenai Hindu College in Batticaloa was closed as protesters demanded the release of students.
Protesters burnt two buses that defied the hartal, one near Vallaichenai Police station and the other near Karuvakerni junction.
