TULF for probe into Mannar rape incident

By Nirupama Subramanian

COLOMBO, APRIL 2. Government inaction in cases of alleged rape of Tamil women in custody has ``emboldened'' security forces personnel to continue to commit such crimes with impunity, a senior Tamil leader has said.

In a letter to the President, Ms. Chandrika Kumaratunga, the secretary-general of the Tamil United Liberation Front, Mr. R. Sampanthan, has demanded an impartial probe into the alleged rape of two women by naval personnel and the counter-subversive unit of the police in Mannar, north-western Sri Lanka.

The Mannar District Medical Officer has confirmed rape in the case of one of the women.

The state-run Daily News reported today that ``arrests were imminent'' in the case.

On March 19, during a visit to Mannar, Mrs. Nanthakumar Wijikala, and Mrs. Sinnathamby Sivamani Weerakoon, both 22 years old, were arrested on suspicion of being LTTE cadres by the Navy. They were subsequently handed over to the CSU.

The incident has created outrage in the Tamil community and has been given widespread publicity on several Tamil Internet sites, many of them pro-LTTE.

Students of the Eastern University in Batticaloa held a protest march last Friday demanding that the culprits be punished.

In a statement on Saturday, the Bishop of Mannar, Rev Rayappu Joseph, listed several cases of alleged human rights abuses by the Navy in the district, and said such behaviour by the security forces was ``counter-productive'' when peace moves were under way.

Mr. Sampanthan has called the President's attention to the ``impunity'' with which security personnel committed crimes against Tamil civilians, especially women.

``The fact that the position in respect of human rights violations is somewhat better than under previous government is of little solace to the Tamil people, as long as serious human rights violations continue.

The fact that some service personnel behave better with the Tamil people compared to earlier times, is of little relevance as long as serious violations continue by other service personnel.''

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Section  : International
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