UTHR (J) says LTTE staged TRO abduction drama
April 5th, 2006
by D.B.S. Jeyaraj
The University Teachers for Human Rights (Jaffna) has alleged that the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) organization has faked the alleged abduction of seven Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) personnel at Welikande on the Batticaloa - Polonnaruwa border in two separate incidents on Jan 29th and 30th of this year.
The UTHR (J) in the special report No 20 released on April 2nd titled “Terrorism, Counterterrorism and Challenges to Human Rights Advocacy” has cited sources close to family members of one abducted person saying that the LTTE has told them not to worry as the missing persons were safe with the LTTE.
The UTHR report refers to the TRO abduction incident in the following manner - ” An example of the resulting anarchy is the alleged abduction of 10 TROworkers in the Batticaloa District about the end of January (first two and then reportedly another released). The facts around these abductions remained murky and appeared on the surface a complex plot involving several actors, with the connivance of the state security apparatus at local level.”
” But now UTHR(J) can confirm that the TRO abduction drama was staged by the LTTE immediately before the Geneva meeting to force the paramilitary issue to the forefront of the talks. According to a reliable source close to a family member of an abducted TRO employee, the family was assured that he is safe and not to worry, as all the abductees are safe with the LTTE. But the family was warned not to leak this information. ”
” Further, we understand that the release of 3 abductees along with rumours that some of the abductors spoke Hindi was also calculated to point the finger of blame at the Karuna faction (which is aligned to the ENDLF). This was meant to detract from the Government’s insistence that the abductions were the work of the LTTE. The released abductees were forced to relate a story implicating the security forces and the Karuna group.”
” This also explains LTTE fronts quickly becoming silent in demanding the release of the TRO abductees. We withhold further
information on the ordeal of family members and other information which led us to our finding for the sake of the safety of the families. But in the interests of peace and accountably, this information needs to be brought into the open.”
While the UTHR charges that the TRO abduction was a LTTE drama the TRO and various other pro - tiger organizations have continued to agitate for the release of the abducted persons. Instead of being silent on the issue a series of staggered protest demonstrations urging the release are currently underway in many areas of the North - East.
The State , security apparatus and sections of the media have been sceptical of the abduction from the time it was announced by the TRO. There have been overt and covert allegations that it was a “stagemanaged operation” by the LTTE to draw place the Government in an embarassing position during the Geneva talks.
The LTTE and pro - LTTE elements have refuted this accusation and continued to insist that the Karuna faction in association with the security forces were responsible for the abduction. They have campaigned continuously for the release of the abducted people.
The UTHR (J) assertion that the TRO personnel were not really abducted and that the LTTE staged the drama for propaganda mileage is very likely to strengthen the stance adopted by those doubting the bona fides of the entire incident. Likewise LTTE and pro - LTTE circles are likely to criticise the UTHR (J) report severely and accuse the organization as done earlier of working against “Tamil Nationalism”.
The reputed and highly credible human rights organization Amnesty International issued an urgent action release on March 10th expressing concern over the safety and possible “disappearance “of the abducted persons. The AI release is reproduced here in full -
Sri Lanka: Fear for Safety/ possible “disappearance”
PUBLIC AI Index: ASA 37/007/2006
10 March 2006
UA 55/06 Fear for Safety/ possible “disappearance”
SRI LANKA Kasinathar Ganeshalingam (m), aged 50, Director of the Tamils
Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) and Co-ordinator of Pre-School Education
Development Centre, North-East Province
Kathirkamar Thangarasa (m), aged 43, TRO Driver
Thanuskody Premini (f), aged 25, Chief Accountant for TRO in Batticaloa town
and Student
Shanmuganathan Sujendram (m), TRO Accountant, Mankikkavasar Children’s
Home
Thambiraja Vasantharajan (m), TRO Accountant, Batticaloa
Kailayapillai Ravindran (m), aged 26, TRO Accountant, Vipulananda Children’s
Home
Arunesarasa Satheesharan (m), TRO Accounts Trainee, Vellavali
“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 in eastern Sri Lanka. It is feared that
they may have “disappeared” and there are grave concerns for their safety.
On 29 January, Kasinathar Ganeshalingam, Kathirkamar Thangarasa and three
female TRO employees were driving from the town of Batticaloa in eastern Sri
Lanka, on their way north to the TRO headquarters in the town of Kilinochchi in
northern Sri Lanka. According to two TRO workers who were later released, at
about 8pm they saw a white Toyota Hi-Ace van following their vehicle. They were
stopped and subjected to checks at the Sri Lanka Army checkpoint at Welikanda,
on the borders of Batticaloa and Polonnaruwa districts, and saw the white van
parked behind their vehicle. When they moved a short distance from the
checkpoint, the white Hi-Ace van came behind them, overtook their vehicle and
stopped them. An unknown number of armed men got out of the van and assaulted
both Kasinathar Ganeshalingam and the driver, Kathirkamar Thangarasa, tied them
up and dumped them in the back of the TRO vehicle. The TRO vehicle was then
driven for about three hours and finally stopped at a camp in a jungle area at
about 11.30pm. The five TRO staff members were held overnight in the camp. The
women, who were reportedly held separately from their male colleagues, claim
that they heard the two men being beaten by their captors. The following
evening at around 9pm, two female staff members, Punniyamoorthy Nadeswari and
Sithiravel Sivamathi, were released, taken to the nearest main road and put on
a bus by their abductors, who warned them not to speak to anyone about what had
occurred. A third female TRO staff member, S Dosini, was released later.
However, Kasinathar Ganeshalingam and the driver, Kathirkamar Thangarasa, are
still missing.
Five more TRO employees apparently “disappeared” on 30 January in similar
circumstances in the same area. At 4pm, 15 TRO staff members were travelling
from the organization’s Batticaloa District office to the town of Vavuniya to
attend a training session, when their way was blocked by a white van
approximately 100 metres after the Sri Lanka Army checkpoint at Welikanda.
According to those who were later released, the white van had previously been
following them. Five armed Tamil-speaking men, aged between 20 and 25,
reportedly got out of the white van and boarded the TRO vehicle. One of them
dragged the driver out of his seat and then drove the vehicle to a jungle area.
All 15 of the captives were then blindfolded. Thanuskody Premini,
Shanmuganathan Sujendram, Thambiraja Vasantharajan, Kailayapillai Ravindran and
Arunesarasa Satheesharan were removed from the TRO vehicle and the remaining 10
were taken back to the main road and released. The released TRO workers
reported that when one of the abductors shouted out that there was a police
jeep ahead, another of the abductors replied that this would not present a
problem to them. Before the 10 TRO staff members were released, they were told
by the abductors that they should prepare the funeral rites for the five
remaining abductees.
The TRO has stated that it has filed police reports with the Batticaloa Police
Station and some of the relatives of those missing have attempted to file
police reports. Police took statements from the two young women who were
released, who were kept overnight at the police station in Batticaloa. The
National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) also investigated and took statements
from the two women but have not to date made their findings public. The TRO
staff have continued to cooperate with the authorities and the NHRC.
BACKGROUND INFORMATION
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 after the two sides had agreed to meet, 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. ”
The TRO has also complained earlier about harassment of the returned abductees by the Police. The organization also strongly denied accusations by cabinet ministers Mangala Samaraweera and Priyadharshana Yapa that the TRO was not cooperating with the authorities on the matter. The TRO press release issued on Feb 10th on this subject is reproduced here in full -
“TRO would like to categorically state that it is cooperating fully with all Government of Sri Lanka institutions investigating the abduction of TRO/PSEDC staff.
It is with great dismay and concern that we have read the statements in the media from the Hon. Foreign Minister Managla Samaraweera and the Hon. Cabinet Spokesman Information and Media Ministers Anura Priyadharshana Yapa that the “TRO is not helping with these ongoing investigations.”
TRO has continuously sought out the assistance and urged the Police to investigate this matter fully and professionally. Unfortunately, there seems to a dearth of communication, expertise and professionalism within the police force and between the police, other institutions and the public.
TRO has documented proof of having filed police reports by TRO personnel or facilitating the filing by those victims/witnesses released or their familes (see www.troonline.org for scanned copies documents):
- Batticaloa Police Station was notified 30/2/06 via telephone at approximately 22:00 hrs by TRO of the abductions.
- Batticaloa Police Station at 11:00 am on 31 January 2006 report filed by TRO
- Arjunan Ethirveerasingam petitions Hon. Mahinda Samarasinghe and IGP Fernando to investigate - assurances are given and contact details for TRO are given to the Minister and IGP.
- Interview/statement taken by C.I.D. at Colombo Office on 31/2/06.
- Welikanda on 1 February police report filed by two of the women abducted on Monday (they were released 2 hours after being abducted). TRO Batticaloa Director and SLMM accompanied them.
- Welikanda on 1 February filed by 2 of the mothers of those still being held. TRO Batticaloa Director and SLMM accompanied them
- Vavuniya on 1 February filed by the brother of Ms. Premini. (He is a resident of Vavuniya).
- Batticaloa on Thursday 2 February the 2 pre school teachers Ms. Punniyamoorththy Nadeswari (19 years old) & Ms. Siththiravel Sivamathi (18 years old) who had been abducted on 29 January voluntarily presented themselves at the Batticaloa Police Station at great personal risk to enter a police report and be interviewed. TRO Colombo and TRO Batticaloa facilitated this interview and solicited the services of the Non-Violent Peace Force to accompany the women and TRO personnel to the police station.
The two pre school teachers were detained against their will over night by the Batticaloa Police (23 hours: 15:30 February 2 - 14:30 February 3, 2006) after which they were taken to the hospital (for undisclosed reasons) and then to the courts. This illegal detention of the victims of a crime when they have come forward voluntarily to give evidence is a blatant violation of their fundamental human rights. Such treatment of victims/witnesses by the police may be the reason why some of the other victims/witness have not come forward
- Ms. Punniyamoorththy Nadeswari & Ms. Siththiravel Sivamathi testified before the Human Rights Commission on 8 and 9 February 2006. The pre school teachers were terrified after their overnight stay in the Batticaloa Police Station and, in consultation with their parents, requested that TRO bring them to Colombo. TRO provided safe transit and once in Colombo notified the Human Rights Commission (on 1 February) of the women’s desire to testify.
- TRO has CONTINUOUSLY and without reservation offered its assistance to those investigating the abduction of its staff.
- TRO has attempted to contact the investigators, the IGP Mr. Chandra Fernando, Mr. Mahinda Samarasinghe and many other government officials to no avail. Calls are not returned.
TRO has been cooperative and will continue to do so. All the authorities have to do is make the request. Thus far the request has not been forthcoming.
The TRO phone numbers are: 269 3254, 471 6575
We encourage those who wish to speak with us to call. ”
It is against this backdrop of accusation and counter accusation that the highly respected UTHR (J) has made its own revelation about the LTTE staging this TRO abduction drama. While this claim would be seized on by anti - tiger sections on the one hand in support of their stance and would be disputed vehemently by pro - tiger elements this writer is only concerned about the safe return of the “missing” persons. Let us fervently hope and pray that they return home safely as soon as possible and that the controversy surrounding their “disappearance” should not affect their well - being.
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