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Jaffna youth arrests continue over suspected Tiger activity
View(s):Teachers fear university may have to close down
By Chris Kamalendran
Terrorism Investigation Division (TID) detectives are continuing their arrests of youth including students in Jaffna over what Security Forces Commander there, Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe said was over suspected Tiger guerrilla activity.
However, clergy, parents and academics complain that the exercise has spawned a fear psychosis amidst warnings that the Jaffna University may close down.
According to Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Parliamentarian M.A. Sumanthiran, at least forty Tamil youth have been arrested but not produced in courts. The arrests, he said, had been made under the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA).
The Government claims that the students are being rehabilitated at a camp in Welikanda at their own request. The detentions are wholly illegal but this seems irrelevant to the Government, he told the Sunday Times.
“The arrests are being carried out under normal laws by the TID,” Major General Hathurusinghe told the Sunday Times.
Investigations, he said, revealed that some students were engaged in activities similar to those practised by the outlawed Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). “This is why some students have been inducted to undergo rehabilitation programmes,” he added.
Father Christopher Jeyakumar, Parish Priest of St Mary’s Church in Kayts said that the university students missed studies for three months due to the recent strike by the academic staff.
“One more month has been lost due to the situation created by the arrests,” he told the Sunday Times.
V. Paramalingam , the mother of a student who is already in custody told the Sunday Times “My son Dharshaan is now undergoing rehabilitation in Welikanda.
I went to see him at the camp. He assured me that he was not involved in any agitation campaign against the government. Nor has he been questioned on this aspect.”
“There is a tense situation prevailing. We have had to postpone all examinations,” A. Rasakumar, President of the Jaffna University Teachers’ Association told the Sunday Times. Earlier, the university authorities were informed when arrests were made. Now, the Vavuniya based officials of TID were sending messages directly to the students asking them to turn up in their office, he added.
He said there were fears that the university may close down.
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