Travel clamp for people in north

Civilians in the north will be required to obtain Police passes to travel to Colombo or other areas in the south in terms of new measures introduced by the Government. This requirement will apply to those living in the districts of Vavuniya, Mannar, Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu. Those wishing to travel will be required to make a written application to the Police giving reasons for the visit, places where they would stay, the duration and intended date of return.

Residents in the Mannar district will be required to apply to Police Stations in their respective areas. Police in Vavuniya, however, will not only attend to applications from those residing in that district but also the districts of Kilinochchi and Mullaitivu. This is in view of the two districts being dominated by Tiger guerrillas and the non existence of Police Stations there.
“The pass system has already come into effect in the four districts,” Vavuniya’s Additional Government Agent S. Charles said yesterday. She is the senior-most government official tasked to co-ordinate food supplies to the Wanni from Government-controlled Vavuniya. She has advised civilians of the new measures.

A Government official who did not wish to be named, said the new measures were intended to prevent infiltration of Tiger guerrillas into Colombo, its suburbs or other areas in the south. He said the string of recent bomb explosions necessitated the new move. “Now, any person in the north moving around without a valid pass from a Police Station will be liable for questioning or arrest in the south,” he added.

With the introduction of these new measures, bus services operated by the Vavuniya and Mannar depots from Medawachchiya to Colombo have been suspended. The bus services were introduced after the movement of vehicles from Mannar and Vavuniya to the south was terminated in Medawachchiya. As a result, civilians travelling south will now have to either travel by bus or train. Though vehicles could be hired for travel from Medawachchiya, most did not use this facility since they could not afford it.

Travel restrictions for civilians in the Mannar, Vavuniya and districts in the Wanni were followed yesterday by the strengthening of security measures in several other districts. In the Central Province, all police officers were advised yesterday to take extra precautions in the wake of reports of attempts by the LTTE to destabilize the province by targeting civilians and property.

“There are many LTTE cadres who have infiltrated and are hiding in the Kandy, Katugastota and Gampola areas. More patrolling and cordon-and-search operations have been put in place,” Senior Deputy Inspector General Gamini Nawaratna said.

“We will tell the public to inform the police if any strangers come to buy houses or property in the Central Province,” he said. He said that Kandy should be protected as events related to the SAARC (South Asian Association for Regional Co-operation) summit and the annual Dalada Perahera would take place next month. In Ampara, as a fresh security measure, police have banned parking in the town area and directed that all vehicles be parked in the public grounds while security checks on buses have been stepped up.