Travel ban on Wanni civilians

~ Train services curtailed, more suspects rounded up in security crackdown

By Chris Kamalendran

The Government has barred the movement of civilians from the uncleared Wanni region, except for a few essential cases in a fresh attempt to prevent Tiger guerrillas from infiltrating the south and causing destruction. Civilians from the Wanni will be allowed to leave only for medical treatment, appointments with government departments or any official business.

Brigadier Udaya Nanaykkara confirming the travel restrictions said the measure had been taken due to security reasons including the prevention of infiltration of LTTE cadres to the south. Daily around one thousand civilians pass between Wanni and Vavuniya through the Omanthai check point. Some 300,000 people are believed to be living in the LTTE-controlled Wanni.

Civilians at the Omanthai checkpoint

Governement also decided to curtail all train services, except the Yal Devi train, at Anuradhapura from yesterday. Accordingly seven trains which operated directly to Vavuniya will now travel only upto Anuradhapura while the Yal Devi will end its journey at Medawachchiya.

A Railway Department spokesm said the measures were taken on the advice of the Defence Ministry. The move is expected to reduce the movement between Vavuniya and the south. The fresh security measures preventing the movement of civilians out of the Wanni were taken in the aftermath of Wednesday’s two bomb explosions that killed 21 civilians and wounded 43.

The ban on movement of civilians from the Wanni to the rest of the country is expected to reduce the movement of government servants between Vavuniya and the uncleared areas as well. On Friday when the restriction came into effect some 300 persons, among them 110 government servants were stranded at the Omanthai check point.

However, Vavuniya’s Additional Government Agent P.S.M.Charles told The Sunday Times that later in the day, after discussions with the Army’s civil affairs division, arrangements were made only for the government servants to enter Vavuniya while the rest was turned back.

Ms. Charles said the Government Agent’s office in Vavuniya was negotiating with the army to allow public servants to travel between Vavuniya and Wanni to prevent the breakdown of civil administration.

Meanwhile a series of round-up security operations were launched on Friday with more than 1,500 persons being taken into custody for questioning. Of them, some 100 persons arrested by the Kotahena police were transferred to the Boosa detention camp.Islandwide round-up operations were carried out in the Pussellewa, Matale, Kandy, Gamopla, Chilaw and Gampaha areas.