An injured soldier, Lance-Corporal Saman Pushpakumara, 24 years, who was captured by the LTTE on January 4 at the Muhamalai battlefront, Killinochchi district, and admitted to the Dharmapuram government hospital for treatment on January 9, was released by the LTTE on Friday and brought to Colombo.
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| Lance-Corporal Pushpakumara receiving treatment at the Dharmapuram government hospital |
From Dharmapuram, the soldier was later transferred to Puthkkudiyiruppu.
Kilinochchi Regional Director of Health Services Dr. T. Sathyamoorthi, who was attending to the soldier at the Dharmapuram hospital, called the soldier’s mother in Welimada and informed her that her son was in good hands and that she had nothing to worry about.
The doctor also informed the mother that he had written to the LTTE, saying the soldier needed further treatment, which could not be offered at the present hospital, and to allow the patient to be transferred to a hospital in Colombo.
The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) assisted in the soldier’s transfer to Colombo.
In a statement issued on Thursday, the ICRC said it had “facilitated the handover to the government authorities of a wounded Sri Lanka Army soldier who had been receiving treatment in the Puthukkudiyiruppu hospital, in the LTTE-held area.”
The ICRC press release went on to say that “the ICRC visited the soldier in the hospital on several occasions to check on his physical well-being and provide him with toiletries, clothing and bed linen.
“In its role as a neutral intermediary between both parties to the conflict, the ICRC was able to arrange for the soldier to leave the LTTE-held area to receive specialist medical treatment in the government-controlled areas.”
Ranjith Premadasa, the soldier’s uncle, told The Sunday Times that Mr. Pushpakumara’s family had received word about the soldier’s disappearance on January 6. A few days later Mr. Premadasa received a phone call from a person identifying himself as a doctor, who said the soldier was being held in a government hospital in an uncleared area in the North.
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Ven. Amunukandure
Gunananda Thera, brother |
The soldier’s uncle Ranjith Premadasa.
Pix by Saman Kariyawasam |
Mr. Premadasa said the soldier’s immediate family was deeply relieved to hear he was safe and in government hands.
“Pushpakumara’s father is a farmer and his mother helps in the field. He also has a sister and a brother who is a monk. They were all very upset went they heard the news.“My own family is based in Colombo, but we visit Pushpakumara’s family once in about two months. We are very close. The parents and sister kept calling to ask about Pushpakumara. So far about 890 calls have been exchanged between the two homes. The Army assures he is safe.”
The soldier’s younger brother, Ven. Amunukandure Gunananda Thera, who is attached to a temple in Gothatuwa, told The Sunday Times that he heard about his brother’s disappearance from friends in the family’s home town, Uwaparanagama. “I was on my way back from the pirivena when I got a call on my mobile phone giving me the news. I spoke to the chief monk and got his permission to go back to my village. I was accompanied by my sister and another monk. She was crying all the way. My parents were very depressed.”
The soldier’s mother, W. M. Ariyawathi, told The Sunday Times that she and her husband went daily to the temple to offer Bodhi Pooja and pray for their son’s safe return. “We are so happy to know that he is safe and back,” she said. |
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