While the disappearances in and around the environs
of Suriyakanda in the Sabaragamuwa Province have caused a
ripple effect with a few middle-level high ranking
military personnel being hauled up before Courts, in
far-off Vantharamoolai in the Eastern Province, a similar
crime almost equal in magnitude has receded into relative
obscurity', in spite of the indictment levelled against
alleged miscreants by the Human Rights Task Force (HRTF).
What is published below gives in almost graphic detail
the events leading to the disappearances of no less than
158 students and adults under highly suspicious
circumstances, as presented by the HRTF Chairman J.E.A.
Soza, in his Report of September1993 (Address: 75 Norris
Canal Road, Colombo 10). |
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After
the establishment of the Regional Centre of the HRTF (Human
Rights Task Force) at Batticaloa there was a spate of complaints
and representations on matters of grave concern to the public
at Batticaloa. A series of complaints about the illegal taking
away of as many 158 persons from the refugee Camp established at
the Eastern University premises at Vantharamoolai has resulted in
a public outcry against the Army officials said to be
responsible. The Regional Manager at Batticaloa and the
Chairman conducted inquiries into this incident. There were
nearly 45,000 refugees in this camp at Vantharamoolai. Early
morning on the 5th September 1990 a batch of soldiers many of
whom were fr6m the HQ 8 Brigade at Valachchenai, arrived at the
Refugee Camp in several jeeps brings along two buses. The women
were asked to stand aside while the men were asked to line up in
3 queues. Two hooded men stood along with the soldiers and the
people who were in the lines were made to walk past them. Every
time the hooded men nodded, it was taken as identification and
the man or boy involved was taken into custody. While this was
going on there was a group of LTTE men who had taken refugee in
the Eastern University who had ignored the army orders to line up
outside and were hiding inside the Assembly hall. Accidentally or
otherwise there was a bomb blast inside the Assembly hall which
killed some of the LTTE men who were in hiding and severely
injured the others. They were all taken away in the jeeps. The
bomb blast no doubt added to the acrimony of the proceedings. In
all 158 persons were rounded up on the identification of the
hooded men. Their hands were tied behind their backs and they
were bundled into the two buses while the parents and kinsmen
looked on helplessly. The soldiers said the men would be
released after inquiry. There are many willing witnesses to this
incident which took place in broad daylight in the presence of
nearly 45,000 people. The University authorities whose names are
available and will volunteer as witnesses if called upon, kept a
list of the persons who were taken away as they were responsible
for all the refugees who had taken shelter in the Eastern
University Camp. Among the men taken there were young and old.
One at least was as young as 11 years. There was much indignation
at this outrageous removal of many innocent people solely on the
identification of 2 hooded men whose credentials and
creditworthiness are unknown. Four army men have been identified
among the soldiers who took part in this inhuman exercise. They
are:
Capt.
Kaluaratchi from Chenkalady Army Camp
Capt
Mohammed Munas said to be masking his identity under this
name when his real name was Dias Richard, attached to the
NIB Batticaloa
Maj.
Majeed Commanding Officer of Valachchenai Army Camp
Maj.
Mohan Silva of Batticaloa Camp
The
statements of several parents and kinsmen of the men and boys
who were taken were recorded by us. Apart from these witnesses
the University authorities have identified the four army officers
who were responsible.
Most
of the witnesses are able to identify Capt. Mohammed Munas.
Masquerading as Capt. Munas he was the bane and terror of the
defenseless inhabitants of Batticaloa during this period. Among
the public he was feared and very well known. Representations
were made to the Ministry of Defence. On 17 October 1990 Air
Marshal A.W. Fernando who was the Secretary to the Hon.
Minister for Defence sent a reply to the inquiries made in
which he stated that only 32 persons were taken on 05.09.90 from
the Vantharamoolai Camp. The names of 31 boys and men were listed
as having been taken on 05.09.1993 during a cordon and search
operation conducted at the Vantharamoolai Camp. The letter said
they had been taken only for questioning and all had been
released within 24 hours. But regretfully none of these persons
who had reportedly been released reached their homes. Among the
persons so said to have been released was a young boy V.
Wijeratnam only 11 years old and the one S. Sudakaram 16 years of
age. It is necessary to mention that No.18 in the list of names
given was that of N. Stanley, 35 years of age from
Vantharamoolai. The supreme gaffe came during the Presidential
Mobile Services at Batticaloa in July 1993. Stanley's wife had
complained about her husband's disappearance. She received a
reply to say that Stanley was never taken by the authorities.
This was the standard reply on a cyclostyled form issued to any
person who complained of a missing person. This is in the teeth
of what was stated by the Secretary to the Ministry of State for
Defence that N. Stanley was among the 31 taken for questioning
and released. There is yet another matter to be mentioned. In
response to the representations rnade by the people the
Government Agent apparently wrote on 22 September 1990 to the
Army authorities about the incident Maj. S. Seneviratne from the
Headquarters of 8 Brigade Group, Paper Mills Quarters,
Valachchenai wrote back on 29 October 1990 to the GA that the
troops which conducted a search operation, rounded up and
questioned over 200 inmates of the Eastern University Refugee
Camp and no one had been detained. Add to this tragic farce of
blunders the fact that in the evening news bulletin of the SLBC
on 7 September1990 an announcement was made that 148 persons had
been taken into custody from the Eastern University Camp by the
Army for inquiries. This incident is a dastardly crime which
cries aloud for a proper investigation. The HRTF has not been
able to trace even one single person out of the 158 that went
missing on that fateful morning of 5th September 1990. The losses
are irrevocable. The least that can be done now is to pay
adequate compensation to the bereaved families many of whom
have lost their breadwinners and to issue death certificates.
[Social Justice 92]
Posted on 1999-01-01
remarks:1 |