Scores of Tamil arrested in South, 1200 continue to be detained without being charged

Around Hundred Tamils were arrested by the Sri Lankan security forces in cordon and search operations around Colombo and the south of the country in the space of 5 days. The arrests comes as a Supreme Court filing showed that about 1200 Tamils are languishing in Welikade prison without being charged.

On Monday August 4, 61 Tamil civilians were taken into custody in overnight cordon and search operations conducted by the police and the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in several parts of Negombo, 40 kilometers north of Colombo.

Although the police sources claimed that the arrested had been residents of North, East and upcountry in the central province, relatives of the arrestees told civil rights groups and activists that police had taken into custody several residents who had been residing in Negombo and its suburbs for several years and who possess national identity cards and valid documents to prove their identity.

Five days earlier, on Wednesday, July 30,  11 Tamil civilians were arrested in a cordon and search operation conducted from 6:00 a.m. till 10:00 a.m. in Mt.Lavinia area in Colombo division by the Police with the assistance of about one hundred members of the Civil Volunteer Force (CVF).

Police used sniffer dogs and metal detectors to trace explosives in vehicles and in public places, sources said.

Over five hundred vehicles entering into the Colombo city were subjected to thorough search during the operation. The search operation covered several areas including Ratmalana bus and railway stations and bus stations at Kattubedda and Mt.Lavinia, police sources said.

Police said most of the arrested had failed to prove their identity and provide valid reason for their stay in the location.

On the same day, 11 civilians including two Tamils and a Muslim were taken into custody in a cordon and search operation conducted by the SLA in the Gampaha town.

A day earlier, on Tuesday, July 29, 17 Tamils including three women were taken in to custody in a cordon and search operation conducted in Wellawatte area in Colombo by the police with the assistance of the SLA.

All of the detainees were natives of north and east provinces and had been working in shops and staying with their relatives, friends and some in lodges in Wellawatte to go abroad, human rights sources said.

Prior to these arrests, on Monday July 28, Sri Lanka's Supreme Court was told when the Fundamental Rights violation petition filed the Ceylon Workers Congress (CWC) was taken up for further inquiry that about one thousand two hundred Tamil civilians are still being detained in Welikada prison without any inquiry.

The counsel for the petitioner begged the court to take steps to release these Tamils, legal sources said.

The Chief Justice Sarath Silva, presiding over a three-member bench directed the Attorney General to appoint a special committee comprising a State Counsel and a police officer to expedite the inquiry against them, legal sources said.

The CWC has filed the FR petition against the indiscriminate arrest of Tamil residents of Colombo and suburbs without any reason.

The petitioner has cited the Defense Secretary, Inspector General of Police and several police officers as respondents.