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Police raise alarm over shadow of terrorism in re-emergence of Jaffna violence
View(s):More than 20 youths have been detained following violent attacks challenging the authority of Sri Lanka police in Jaffna and the police chief has asked for public support to end the re-emergence violence from those linked to the defeated Tamil terrorist group.
A Police officer investigates a crimes scene in Kopay Jaffna where two police constable were attacked this week. Pic by N. Lohathyalan
Many of the youths are below the age of 20, police said. In some instances police constables were slashed with swords. A Tamil High Court Judge in Jaffna, Manickavasagar Illancheliyan, was shot at in Nallur junction and his security officer, police sergeant Sarath Premachandra, 57, was killed in the attempt to protect the judge. Among other cases, Justice Ilanchelian had also presided over the rape and murder case of 18-year-old student Vithya Sivaloganathan on May 13, 2015, by several Tamil youths. The rape and murder trial began late June at the Jaffna High Court before three judges. Nine accused, all Tamils, were charged with 41 counts including the abduction, gang rape, and murder. They have denied the charges. The state told the court that the mastermind of the brutality was a Sri Lankan-born Swiss citizen.
As for the recent violence, the Senior Deputy Inspector of Police, responsible for the northern range, Roshan Fernando told the Sunday Times that most of the suspects are under 20. More suspects are being sought.
“The normalcy in the north is as before. In addition to routine police security, Special Task Force personnel are also deployed in some sensitive areas to prevent any violent incidents in future,” he said.
Four suspects were arrested over the attack on Kopay police constables so far. DIG Fernando said nine suspects are being sought, while two were produced before a court and remanded until August 10. Two others are in police custody and expected to be produced in court.
In a separate incident, three youths were arrested in Chunnakam area on Thursday over a sword attack. Police arrested the suspects and seized the swords.
The past Sunday, two police constables in Copay were on their way to Nandaavil Amman Temple area in Kokkuvil, some five kilometres from Jaffna town to serve summons. They had been told that some youths carrying sharp objects were wandering around. They had noticed some 15 youths carrying swords in a lane and called for back up. The youths, on motorbikes, began slashing the two unarmed policemen with swords. Villagers had taken the wounded policemen to hospital.
The following day, the Inspector General of Police, Pujith Jayasundara, went to Jaffna and security was reviewed. At a meeting at the Jaffna District Secretariat involving the Chief Minister C.V. Wigneswaran, District Secretary N Vethanayahan, and all Divisional Secretaries, IGP Jayasundara called for public support.
“Even though three-decade long terrorism was brought to an end, I don’t think it was completely eradicated since there is a possibility of the re-emergence of such activities. Thousands of weapons used by terrorists during wartime, have not been handed over to police or security forces after the war,” he told the meeting.
He said that the attitude and lifestyle of youths who once belonged to the vanquished terrorist group, the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, had not changed. “These are the main factors I noticed as reasons for this kind of incidents in the North but not in the East. In any case, this can’t be tolerated. we can’t allow this going on like this, this has to be stopped,’’ he said.
IGP Jayasundara said the community and religious bodies can play a role in preventing violence by cooperating with the police and security forces. “To stop these kind of anti-social criminal activities, we are going to adopt various tactics with the help of STF and the armed forces but without public support, it can’t be achieved,” he noted.
He warned of many extremist groups who don’t like people living in peace and harmony and spread rumours.
“According to them, the police are the failure, and besides, law and order is not functioning properly here. The LTTE and extremism started like this and the same thing is coming again. So these things are being spread by the media and some political groups who don’t like the country being at peace,” the IGP argued.
Some organizations have benefited through these perceptions and get funds from overseas.
Meanwhile, families of 17 suspects arrested over violence in Point Pedro and Nelliyadi, filed a complaints with the Human Rights Commission regional office in Jaffna on Thursday alleging that police arrested their children without evidence.
“The police are arresting our children at random claiming they are suspected of wrong doing or alleged involvement with violent groups. Our children are afraid to go to school also,” mothers told the rights officials in Jaffna.