Kodikamam police in Jaffna arrested local councillors providing voluntary relief packages to vulnerable villagers of Chavakachcheri, that have been struggling with the pressures of the military-enforced curfew.
Local councillors and volunteers have been scrutinised and often arrested in the past weeks for aiding the vulnerable people affected by the lockdown, despite having curfew passes.
The Tamil National People’s Front tweeted yesterday;
“1/2 Three persons including two local councillors of TNPF have been arrested by Kodikamam police while returning from delivering dry rations to villagers of Ketpeli in Chavakachcheri. They were allowed to proceed with rations but were arrested on their way back.
2/2 This is the second instance of our members being arrested for delivering dry rations. On March 30th Kodikaamam police arrested Chavakachcheri Urban Councillor M. Nadanathevan while distributing dry rations, despite him possessing curfew passes from Chavakachcheri police.”
Many villagers have become reliant on support from diaspora and local volunteers, as the government still fails to release emergency relief measures to them. Many families are on the verge of starvation as they are trapped during lockdown with no source of income.
Sri Lankan police also arrested a Chavakachcheri Municipal Council member and three other volunteers when they were delivering supplies to under privileged families in Jaffna, despite carrying curfew earlier this month.
