transcurrents

Forced recruitment on massive scale by Tigers in North

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj

The Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE)are currently engaged in a massive campaign of forced recruitment in the North. The current phase of forced recruitment began in June last year and was accelerated from October onwards. The past few weeks have seen the campaign being conducted on a massive scale. It is estimated that over 10,000 persons may have been conscripted in the last eight months.

The Eastern Province has been the focus of attention in the sphere of abductions, conscription and forced recruitment in the recent past. The LTTE breakaway faction led by former tiger eastern region commander Vinayagamoorthy Muraleetharan alias “Col” Karuna has been actively engaged in child conscription and forced recruitment in the East. Security forces are said to be complicit in this campaign undertaken by the Karuna faction known as the Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP).

A recent 100 page report released on Jan 24th by the New York based Human Rights Watch titled “Complicit in Crime: State Collusion in Abductions and Child Recruitment by the Karuna Group,” documents this issue vividly. UN Special envoy Allan Rock has also spotlighted this phenomenon in a statement issued in Colombo last year after a ten day fact – finding mission to Sri Lanka.

The UN Secretary – General has also submitted a report on Jan 16th to the UN Security council on the situation. The UN security council’s working group on children and armed conflict will examine and discuss the Sri Lankan issue on February 9th.

Apart from the TMVP involvement and complicity by the security forces the “mainstream” LTTE is also engaged in abductions and conscriptions. The UN Secy – Gen as well as the HRW have charged the LTTE of continuing with forced recruitment and not honouring earlier pledges and assurances made to the UN on this issue. Targetted measures against the LTTE have been recommended.

The Eastern province has seen much activity in this regard after the split in the LTTE in 2004. Thousands of cadres who dropped out or escaped from the LTTE after the split were targetted again by both parties. Also both the LTTE and TMVP are abducting and forcibly recruiting new persons into their respective organizations. Some instances have been reported in the media while the UNICEF and organizations like the UN too have monitored incidents.

While the focus has been on the volatile east the actions of the LTTE in the north have not received the same glare of publicity. Lack of access to the LTTE dominated regions in the Northern mainland is the chief contributory factor to this state of affairs. The unwillingness of many Tamil people to publicly articulate their grievances against the LTTE is another reason for the situation. The Tamil community grapevine is humming with tales of tiger abductions but few are willing to come forward openly.

The main reason is fear of repercussions at the hands of the LTTE and its minions. Another reason is the feeling that the Tamil cause would be weakened if accusations are levelled against the LTTE. Family members of those conscripted are also afraid to speak out because the lives of those abducted may be in jeopardy. Families have been explicitly warned of such consequences if details of abductions are leaked out.

Besides with the families also residing in LTTE controlled areas they themselves are in danger.The prevailing totalitarian control of society by the LTTE prevents people speaking out except for communicating their distress to trusted persons. All these reasons have helped the LTTE to get away with continuous abductions and forced recruitment.

The scale and intensity of forced recruitment has increased in the past few months. It has always been the LTTE position that the movement faces a shortage of personnel. If enough numbers are forthcoming the elusive goal of Tamil Eelam would be a reality they say.

In recent times there is much talk of a massive counter – strike against the armed forces by the LTTE. Additional cadres are necessary for this it is said. One reason attributed to the LTTE “passivity” in recent times is that nothing “major” would be undertaken until the recruitment target is reached.

While the military priorities and objectives are given pride of place the human dimension is once again lost sight of. The sad irony is that all these wars are being supposedly fought for the liberation and upliftment of the Tamil people! What has been happening however is that the position of the Tamil civilians get worse day by day. Liberation is no longer the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow.

The LTTE may want more and more people to join up and fight but the ordinary Tamils are in no mood to oblige. They simply want to be left alone to pick up the pieces of their fractured lives and get on with living. This is not their war any more. The tigers may celebrate death but the people want life however miserable it may be under present conditions.They do not want their children to die. Which parent will want that?

The LTTE had earlier started the process of civilian arms training. All able bodied persons from 16 to 45 were required to undergo some physical training and learn techniques of self – defence. Those willing to go the extra – mile were given more intensive training and forged into an auxiliary outfit known as “Ellai Padai” or border force. They function mainly as helpers to the LTTE cadres in border areas.

Another category of persons is selected out of the original batches of trainees and given further training. They are supposedly reservists and called “Makkal Padai” or peoples force.These people are allowed to get on with normal civilian life but are required to show up whenever necessary or wanted. Most members of these civilian militias are not willing to fight or die. But they have no choice and are reluctantly compelled to go along with tiger diktat.

A recent phenomenon was the perceived reluctance to forcibly conscript children and others and co-opt them directly into their ranks. One reason for this was the LTTE participation in the peace process and its desire to enhance its international image. As a result the LTTE allowed most children to study without forcing them into the movement. But with measures like first – aid training the student population was also forced to go for training camps. It was one such batch of students learning leadership skills and first – aid that was bombed at the former Chencholai premises last year.

What is happening now is a direct campaign of forced recruitment. The LTTE is mainly targetting those over 17 and under 35 in this campaign. The tigers are reportedly not going in for those under 17. There have been some instances where a public “show” is made of the LTTE returning under – age children to their parents. The children apparently had come on their “own” to the LTTE but the tigers “ever mindful ” of the rights of children are returning them to the parents. The tigers have also been handing over to the UNICEF batches of under – age recruits every year.

Technically what is going on now in the tiger – dominated north is not a child conscription campaign. It is a campaign of abductions and forcible recruitment of the over seventeens. Even those under 18 are deemed children but the LTTE for some reason has lowered it to 17 in its areas. Those aged 17 are not sent to the frontline till they turn 18 claim the LTTE. They are used as helpers in camps till they become 18. Whatever the LTTE may say the universally accepted legal position is that all those under 18 years of age are “children”.

The intensification and acceleration of the LTTE campaign to forcibly recruit those between 17 and 35 into their ranks directly has caused much resentment amid the Tamil people. They have no way to resist or protest. Some have gone into hiding. Others have found ways to leave or escape from those areas. Those detected of trying to escape have been punished. The LTTE has also infiltrated the Govt controlled areas of Mannar , Vavuniya and even Jaffna districts and abducted people. The full force of tiger conscriptions is faced by the people of Kilinochchi and Mullaitheevu districts.

The LTTE which boasts of a parallel administration has set up its monitoring apparatus in the areas it controls. There are two or more LTTE operatives functioning as “grama sevakhas” in each village. They are in possession of all family details in every household in their areas of authority. LTTE operatives armed with such particulars visit each home and “press gang” the reluctant young men and women into joining them. If unsuccessful at day – time the tigers return at night. Nocturnal raids are a regular feature now.

All students in the Advanced level classes are being compelled to undergo training in self – defence and first – aid. The training period is between two to four weeks.The bright ones are identified and brainwashed or forcibly recruited. It is said that families of great heroes and serving LTTE members are exempted.

Many of the parents have stopped sending children to schools. Young people seldom move around publicly. If they are seen the chances of being “taken” are very high. Some parents avoid going out to work and stay home under the impression that they could prevent their children being taken.

A recent incident in Kilinochchi illustrates the pathetic predicament of ordinary people. A family of five in Aanandapuram in Kilinochchi was killed in bombing by the Air Force. Two of those killed were boys aged 18 and 20 respectively. The boys were kept at home to avoid being conscripted by the LTTE at school. Tragically “Yaman” came for them via an Israeli K- fir.

One way of avoiding conscription was to marry since married persons were not forcibly recruited. So many people in tiger controlled areas began marrying early. With the present recruitment drive being launched in June last year the rate of marriages shot up among young people. The LTTE has now declared that all marriages after August 2006 are null and void.

Regardless of marital status the new grooms and brides are being conscripted. The LTTE has also gone to the extent of declaring a moratorium on marriages till a particular age is reached. Males cannot marry till they are 40 and females till 35. This is only a temporary measure assures the LTTE.

The LTTE has also banned the movement of people to Govt controlled areas. People are allowed out only for specific reasons on a very strict basis. In most instances someone living in the Wanni has to stand surety. If the person does not return the person who stood surety wll be detained and punished. The LTTE is very strict in disallowing people between 12 and 17 from leaving the Wanni.

The people particularly the mothers are resisting as much they can. But most efforts are futile. Some of the stories related are pathetic. One mother fell on the ground in front of a tiger vehicle in a desperate attempt to block it from driving away with her son. The LTTE driver callously drove over the woman’s leg crushing the bone.

In another incident the frantic mother tried to cling on to her son but was pushed away roughly. She fell down and hit her forehead on a stone. Seeing the wife bleed the elderly husband/ father got angry and slapped the tiger cadre. The tigers were enraged.”Engalukku Kai Neetta thuninjitiyo?” (Are you brave enough to raise your hand against us?) they shouted. Thereafter the old man was given a merciless thrashing and was hospitalised.

In one case the 21 year old brother was given permission to go to Colombo in June last year to welcome an uncle who was visiting from abroad. His family guaranteed his return in three months. While he was in Colombo the LTTE recruitment drive escalated. Family members urged the son not to return but stay in Colombo and try to go abroad. When the LTTE went to the house the family said that the young man was sick and needed medical treatment in Colombo.

The tigers took away the 16 year old sister and said she would be released if proof of the brothers medical condition was supplied. The brother got himself admitted to a private hospital and after some “doctoring” with some sympathetic help by those concerned sent the the necessary “paperwork” to convince the LTTE of his medical condition. The LTTE rejected the documents and now wants the family to give them medical records from a Govt hospital!. The sister is still under tiger custody.

The LTTE slogan for recruitment was “Veetukku Oru Veeran Allathu Veeranganai” ( One hero or heroine rom each house). This is now being strictly enforced. All households are being forced to send one member. If those eligible escape or avoid being recruited another is taken away as “hostage”. Those protesting or objecting are assaulted severely. Some gave been detained for indefinite periods.

An LTTE member had absconded from the tigers after being sent to Vavuniya to do political work after the ceasefire. He came to Colombo and then went abroad. This was in 2003. After making inquiries from the family the LTTE did not do anything. But recently the LTTE came to the house and wanted the “escapee” to return to the LTTE again. When told that he was now abroad the tigers took away his younger sister aged 15. The family was told that the girl would be sent home if the brother returned to the Country and the movement.

Some people have sent their children or even moved out of the LTTE controlled areas through circuitous jungle routes. There is much hardship and danger but people risk it rather than see children being conscripted. The LTTE’s elite “leopard” commano unit also prowls these jungle routes keeping up vigil. While some people have managed to escape many have been caught and punished.

One family had twin sons in their twenties. The LTTE wanted one to join up. The family tried to escape through a jungle route and was caught. As punishment both sons were taken away.

One particularly sad incident is about a young girl in Puthukudiyiruppu. She was the only daughter in the family and very clever in studies. Her elder brothers had either died as LTTE “Maaveerar” or gone abroad. The family was however worried because the girl did not attain “age” for many years. Finally she became a “periya pillai ” (loku Lamaiya) at the age of 18. The parents were so happy that they had a comparatively grand celebration on the “day of pouring water”. (thanni vaarkum naal). Two days later the tigers came and took her away leaving the parents devastated.

Some families from Allaipiddy and Mankumban relocated to the Wanni after the spate of killings by the Navy and EPDP last May. They felt the LTTE controlled Wanni was safer than their own villages. Recently some youngsters from these displaced families went missing. Family members rushed to the LTTE “Kaavalthurai” (Police) run by Nadesan. The Eelam “cops” promised to inquire into the matter. It was only some days later that enlightenment dawned on the families that the” fences had devoured the crops.”

Among those taken away by the LTTE are some girl students staying with Catholic sisters at a nunnery and attending a convent. The tigers took those over 17 forcibly. Church leaders have appealed to the LTTE hierarchy but do not publicise the incident for obvious reasons.

The LTTE has also been abducting young persons in the Govt controlled areas of Mannar, Vavuniya and even Jaffna. Age or marital status is not a bar when it comes to abducting those in Govt controlled areas. They are taken to LTTE controlled areas clandestinely and forcibly recruited. TULF President Veerasingham Aanandasangaree alleges that most incidents of youths abducted in Jaffna during daytime and then going missing are perpetrated by the LTTE.

The TULF president has also alleged that the use of mobile phones by members of the public has been banned by the LTTE in the Wanni. Anyone found using one is penalised.All foreign calls can be taken only from LTTE run communication centres. The numbers have to be registered in the mornings. The calls limited to 5 minutes per call are allowed in the evenings. The time in between is used by the LTTE to verify details about those called alleges Sangaree.

Still there are some who have managed to come out of the Wanni. This is mainly due to nepotism and.or corruption. High ranking tiger leaders who have sent their own children abroad for higher studies are known to have intervened in some instances and ensured the “sending away” of close relatives. In other cases massive donations have been paid “officially” to the LTTE and “unofficially” to tiger officials for people to get way. Some of these escapees are treated as LTTE suspects in the Govt controlled areas.

This then is the grim, gloomy scenario unfolding in the LTTE dominated north. The so called liberators of the Tamil people are busy recruiting people forcibly to be conscripted into tiger ranks. The rationale is manpower requirement necessary to launch the “Iruthi Por” (final war). All oppression is being justified as being necessitated by the Tamil cause.

Ordinary Tamil civilians want no part of this war. They only want to be left alone so that they can get along with their life. Sadly that is being denied to them. The tigers, anti – tiger groups and security forces are all together crushing the hopes and aspirations of the ordinary Tamil while blaming each other. That is the Tamil tragedy!.

Related: Human Rights Watch Report – 3
Tigers still conscripting children says Human Rights Watch

transCurrents feedback : editor@transcurrents.com

transCurrents feedback :Contact DBS Jeyaraj : djeyaraj2005@yahoo.com

February 3rd, 2007

The tragic fate of TRO employees abducted by Karuna cadres

By D.B.S. Jeyaraj

One year has passed since the abductions and resultant disappearances of seven Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) employees took place in Welikande . Five TRO persons travelling from Batticaloa to Kilinochchi were abducted on January 29th Three were released subsequently. On the following day (30th) another TRO vehicle going from B’caloa to Kilinochchi was hi-jacked at Welikande. Five full time TRO employees and ten trainee recruits were on board. The ten rookies were released later but the other five were not. The TRO has been often accused of being a front organization of the tigers.

The incident did not pass unnoticed. Apart from the TRO protests several INGO’s raised the issue. Worldwide appeals for their return were issued.Christina Rocca then US asst secretary of state made an appeal for their release. The reputed human rights organization Amnesty International issued a special statement in March and requested letters of appeal be sent to President Mahinda Rajapakse.

The AI statement provided a terse synopsis of what happened in the two abduction incidents.

“Kasinathar Ganeshalingam, Kathirkamar Thangarasa, Thanuskody Premini, Shanmuganathan Sujendram, Thambiraja Vasantharajan, Kailayapillai Ravindran and Arunesarasa Satheesharan, all employees of the Tamil relief and development charity, Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO), were abducted in two separate incidents in late January 2006. It is feared that they may have “disappeared” and there are grave concerns for their safety.” said Amnesty.

Amnesty also issued some Background information about the incident.” The government and the LTTE met to discuss the implementation of the cease-fire in Geneva on 22 and 23 February. The abductions of the TRO workers, which took place shortly afterwards were interpreted by some as an attempt to derail this renewed effort to put the peace process back on track. However, the talks in Geneva went ahead as planned and both parties reiterated their commitment to respect the cease-fire agreement. They agreed to meet again in Geneva from 19 to 21 April”.

“The TRO is seen as being closely affiliated with the LTTE. However, it is a legally registered Sri Lankan charity and its mission is to provide much needed relief, rehabilitation and development for the people of the northeast of Sri Lanka”.
Amnesty International in an Urgent Action release issued on March 10th expressed “grave concern” for the safety of the seven Tamils Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) staffers who were abducted on 29-30 January and are still missing. Amnesty urged all concerned to write to the Sri Lanka Ministry of Defence, Inspector General of Police and Sri Lanka’s President Mr Mahinda Rajapakse to “undertake and complete as a matter of urgency thorough investigations into the fate and whereabouts of the seven,” and to ensure safety of all TRO workers and the families of the missing.

Nothing much has happened in the case despite appeals made by the USA, Amnesty International and several reputed INGO’s. The Commission of Inquiry set up by President Rajapakse to delve into fifteen major incidents of human rights violations excluded the TRO abductions. Appeals made by TRO that these be included have fallen on deaf ears.

The breakaway Karuna faction of the LTTE known as Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal (TMVP) was the prime suspect. Testimonies made by two of the released employees to the Human Rights Commission also indicated that they had seen the name Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Puligal ( TMVP) written in chalk at the camp they were held and interrogated.

But the accusations were denied. A counter – charge was made that the LTTE was responsible. A “story” was floated that a senior LTTE member had advised families of those abducted to keep quiet because it was all a “drama”. It was a LTTE stage – managed act and those “abducted” would return it was said. Nothing has happened. Meanwhile the incidents are passing into the realm of the forgotten.

But the loved ones of the “missing” have not and will not forget. A ceremony was held last week in Kilinochchi to remember the missing seven. The mother of one woman and the wife of one man addressed the gathering. They expressed the belief that the persons were still living and appealed to the world to ensure that they return.Hope springs eternal!

However much one would wish that these abducted human beings whose “humanity” is being obscured by the TRO label be returned or return , recent information gathered by this writer point otherwise. The facts that I am privy to indicate that all seven abducted have been killed. The solitary woman among them was painfully gang raped before being killed. Cadres of the Karuna faction (TMVP) are allegedly responsible.

This writer has been communicating with some sources, well – informed , about some of the goings on, within the Karuna faction. These include disgruntled ex – members who quit the TMVP in disgust over its conduct and the fact that Karuna cadres were functioning as the “running dogs of (Sinhala) Imperialism”. While some of the details divulged by these circles should be taken with a healthy dose of scepticism the information provided about the abductions was deeply disturbing. It is after many weeks of probing that I venture to re- construct in print the tragic fate that befell the abducted seven.

The Karuna faction has a man called “Pillaiyan” who is described as the supreme military commander of the TMVP military wing. Pillaiyan was responsible among many things for the assassination of G. Nadesan the “Virakesari” Batticaloa correspondent. He is said to be the main “link” between the TMVP and its military intelligence handlers. Pillaiyan is also the alleged mastermind behind the on going “abduction of Tamil businesmen for ransom” racket in Colombo.

Theevuchenai is a village in the Polonnaruwa district on the borders of Batticaloa. The TMVP had a string of camps in the adjoining jungle areas. An order was given to TMVP cadres at Theevuchenai on Jan 29th evening by Pillaiyan over the telephone. He told them that a van with TRO employees was coming from B’caloa . Pillaiyan commanded his cadres to lie in wait at Welikande and then pick the TRO people up.

A TMVP team led by a man called Sinthujan alias Pratheepan was given the task. Armed Karuna cadres went from Theevuchenai in a white vehicle and waited at Welikande. The Karuna faction cadres in the abduction team were Jeyanthan, Kumar, Pulenthiran, Siranjeevi and Yogan. All of them are in their early twenties.The TRO vehicle proceeded after checking in at the army post at Welikande. The TMVP van followed and at about 8. 30 pm seized the van at gun point in a convenient location. They took the TRO van to Theevuchenai.

The five people in the van were Kasinathar Ganeshalingam, North East Province Secretary of Pre-School Education Development Centre (PSEDC), Ms S.Doshini, PSEDC Coordinator for Manmunai North, Ms Punniyamoorthy Nadeswary, Pre-School teacher at the Vavunatheevi pre-school, Ms Chitravel Sivamathi, Pre-School teacher at the Vavunatheeevu pre-school and vehicle driver Kathirgamar Thangarasa.

The females were separated from the males. Sinthujan himself interrogated the two males while Sitha alias Pradeep the head of TMVP intelligence along with two others questioned the females. Sitha’s claim to notoriety was after the murder of former Tamil National Alliance National list MP Joseph Pararajasingham on Christmas day in 2005.

He was shot dead near the altar at the St. Mary’s cathedral in Batticaloa after partaking of holy communion at the hands of Bishop Kingsley Swampillai. Sitha was identified as one of the two killers and full details were given by the TNA to President Rajapakse. No arrests have been made so far but the “witnesses” who identified Sitha are now abroad in fear of their lives.

The three females were initially questioned by Sitha and Shashi alias Shanthan and Jeeva alias Thilakan. At one stage Sitha separated Doshini from the other two and proceeded to interrogate her alone.Shashi and Jeeva continued questioning Sivamathy and Nadeswari.

Sinthujan himself interogated the two males. Ganeshalingam was from Thellipalai in Jaffna while Thangarasa was from Kilinochchi. Both were from the north while the females were from the East. Both males were assaulted and accused of being Pottu Amman’s intelligence wing operatives. Their Jaffna origins were also ridiculed by Sinthujan. Later both were taken out and personally executed by Sinthujan.

Nadeswari and Sivamathy were cleared by intelligence and handed over to Sinthujan as “clean”. They were released by Sinthujan the following day and put on a bus near the Vavunatheevu army camp.. Both were not physically assaulted and treated quite decently by Shashi and Jeeva. The TMVP were under the impression that some of Pottu Amman’s tiger intelligence operatives were functioning as TRO employees. Once they were convinced that Nadeswari and Sivamathy were not tigers the TMVP intelligence operatives relaxed.

In the case of Doshini it was discovered that she was a close relative of a senior Karuna faction member. This was of some help initially. Thereafter it appears that Sitha took a fancy to Doshini. He “interrogated” her alone and at one point threatened her with death on the charge of being a tiger accomplice. She broke down and sobbed. Sitha comforted her gently. Later Sitha himself drove her back home in his vehicle.

Apparently a Theevuchenai version of the Stockholm syndrome occurred. The captive began “loving” the captor.According to unconfirmed reports Doshini is now living with Sitha as his “common law” spouse. She has not been questioned by the authorities so far and is protected by powerful people.

But Nadeswari and Sivamathy were required to give statements to the Police. They were harassed by Police officials who kept them at the station overnight. The victims were treated as suspects. Both of them also went to Colombo and voluntarily tendered statements to the Human Rights Commission. Ms. Doshini has not made a statement to the HRC.

On the following day (Jan 30th) the TMVP cadres at Theevuchenai received another phone call around noon from Pillaiyaan.Sinthujan was told of a second TRO vehicle proceeding from Batticaloa.The same team led by Sinthujan went to Welikande and followed the same modus operandi. The white van waited at the checkpoint and followed the TRO vehicle . It overtook the TRO van after 100 metres and stopped it around 4. 15 pm .

While Sinthujan remained in the white van the other five (Jeyanthan, Kumar,Pulenthiran, Siranjeevi and Yogan) seized the TRO vehicle.The driver was pulled out and pushed to the road after a few blows. . Yogan got in and drove the hi- jacked vehicle while the TMVP white van followed suit.

The vehicles stopped after getting off the main road. Pulenthiran and Siranjeevi got in and blindfolded all fifteen abductees. The vehicles then proceeded along circuitous routes and reached Theevuchenai. The fifteen were taken in and questioned by Sinthujan, Shashi and Jeeva.

It was found within a short time that eleven of the fifteen were newly recruited trainees on their way to Vavuniya for a training workshop.The others were on their way to TRO headquarters at Kilinochchi. The TMVP was not satisfied about one of the trainee recruits whom they accused of being the henchman of Keerthi the B’caloa area intelligence chief.

The other ten trainees were blindfolded again and taken by van to the A – 11 highway. Kumar, Yogan and Jeyanthan were in the vehicle. At one point one Jeyanthan saw a Police jeep and shouted “munnale Police jeep”. Yogan replied casually “Athu Pirachinai illai” (No problem). When releasing the ten trainees the abductors told them that the last rites could be performed by family members for the other five.

The five persons kept at Theevuchenai were Aruneswararajah Satheeswaran an accounts trainee from Vellaveli;Kailayapillai Ravindran the accountant at Vipulananda Childrens home, Palugamam, Shanmuganathan Sujendiran the accountant of Manikkavasagar Children’s home, Santhively;Thambyrajah Vasantharajan acct at B’ caloa TRO office and Ms.Premini Thanuskody the chief TRO accountant for the Eastern Province. Premini was also an undergraduate at the Eastern university at Vantharumoolai.

All five persons were “interrogated” intensively by TMVP intelligence led by Sitha. Sinthujan was also involved. The men were assaulted and even tortured. Sitha and the other intelligence personnel then left the camp telling Sinthujan “Ini ungadai poruppu” (Now your responsibility).

The four males were then given rice to eat and tea to drink. Afterwards they were blindfolded and put in a pick – up. It was driven into the interior. The men were then forced to walk into the jungle blind- folded.. The blindfolds were removed and they were asked to dig a huge pit. When it was over the weeping men were lined up and shot. TMVP cadres quickly covered up the grave.

The fate of Premini was terrible. The dusky woman with attractive features and a slight squint was taken to another camp and raped first by Sinthujan himself. Threafter it was a horrible gang rape with TMVP cadres taking turns to sexually assault her. Fourteen cadres raped the poor girl. Some troubled TMVP cadres did not participate in the rape but were powerless to stop it.

Premini was heard to shout and cry at the start. Later she merely sobbed and whimpered. Premini was taken out before dawn by TMVP cadres to the jungles. She walked like a “nadaipinam” (walking corpse) without crying or showing signs of emotion said one ex – TMVP cadre. She was apparently hacked to death and thrown into the bushes.

This account of what allegedly happened to the abducted TRO personnel has troubled me greatly. The tragic fate of Premini is deeply distressing. I have re – constructed the tragedy from accounts related by ex – TMVP cadres. It may be possible to persuade them to testify to these incidents at a genuine inquiry if their safety is guaranteed and identity protected.

Meanwhile the onus is on our former human rights champion and current executive president Mahendra Percy Rajapakse to take action in this matter. Looking back one sees the Govt and law – enforcement authorities acting as “obstructors” of justice in this matter. Cabinet ministers accused the TRO of not co-operating thereby implying that the victim organization was at fault. When TRO employees went to lodge complaints they were treated shabbily as if they were the offenders and not the victims. TRO officials made repeated attempts to contact authorities but were simply ignored.All this points to a massive cover up exercise.

I have also heard of one decent Sinhala military intelligence official who tried to probe this incident and the massacre of 12 Sinhala workers at Omadhiyamadhu being killed by Karuna cadrs themselves. It may be recalled that the Omadhiyamadhu killings were blamed on the LTTE. According to this ,yet to be confirmed version, the TMVP was responsible for that incident too. The MI official was lured into a trap by Pillaiyan and killed by TMVP cadres. The blame as usual was put on the LTTE.

The case of Welikande abductions did not receive the attention it should have received because TRO personnel were involved. It has been easy to downplay the incidents because the TRO is perceived as a tiger front organization. Even civilian employees of the TRO are treated as terrorist because of suspected LTTE affiliations. The well – designed campaign to cripple the TRO also has not been objected to stronly due to alleged tiger links.

Against this backdrop it was easily possible to float conspiracy theories against the LTTE over the TRO abductions and disbelieve that a massive human rights violation had occurred. I am ashamed to say that I too initially felt that the abductions were choreographed dances of deception. The information that is available now makes me realise the full impact of the incidents. There is a crying need for justice here.

The fact that the LTTE is no saint and that it has perpetrated innumerable human rights violations is widely accepted. Yet in a society that is under the rule of law and has a democratically elected government of gigantic proportions the individual is entitled to fundamental rights. Even those working for the TRO or even LTTE members have those rights however unpalatable it may be to some people. This is a crucial truth that cannot be denied in the tragic episode of the abducted TRO personnel.

Related: Amensty International – Sri Lanka: Fear for Safety/ possible “disappearance”

transCurrents feedback : editor@transcurrents.com

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February 3rd, 2007