Tamil traders have complained about Sri Lankan army officials confiscating their goods at Mannar checkpoints and keeping it to sell for themselves.
Several traders reported last month, on February 28th that they had been stopped at the checkpoints and had their goods ‘checked’ and confiscated in most cases, to which they could not anything about. “We don’t know who to meet or what to do about it,” said one of the traders.
The traders stated that when traveling into and out of the district at certain checkpoints, such as Vankalai and Mannar Bridge, they were intercepted and vehicles loaded with goods for sale, were inspected. However, they were seized unfairly under the guise of “coronavirus protocol”.
The traders added that they consent to multiple inspections and reluctantly give up their goods daily because they have no choice but to comply. However, they have sustained great merchandise losses and huge drop in profits due to the army’s activities.
The affected traders have demanded accountability for these actions and assurances against abuse of power. They have requested local government officials and parliamentarians to intervene and take appropriate action.
Militarisation and state security forces’ intimidation and interference has been a huge issue across the North-East, since the end of the armed conflict in 2009. The intrusion of military officials has had a hugely adverse effect on the livelihoods of Tamils and Muslims across the Tamil homeland, with incidents of military assaults and obstruction of work on the rise. Farmers, fishermen and traders are among those to be affected by state officials’ intimidation and violence.
