News

News

Stillness of hartal after the clashes
By Chris Kamalendran
For the first time since the A9 road was re-opened for the public more than two years ago, it was shut for the public, last Thursday, in the wake of a strike called by LTTE front organisations in Vavuniya, to protest against what they called harassment by the security forces during the heroes week.

ICRC personnel manning the main route at Omanthai, 16 kilometres north of Vavuniya, did not turn up for duties after failing to get an assurance from the organisers of the hartal, ICRC spokesman Sukumar Rockwood told The Sunday Times. He said this was the first time the road had to be closed at the Omanthai checkpoint due to the absence of the ICRC, since it was opened on April 9, 2002, after remaining closed for more than 12 years.

Shops, government offices, schools, markets and wayside boutiques all closed down in lieu of the Thursday hartal. The Public Consortium and the Federation of Vavuniya Students' were in the forefront of organising the hartal which they described as successful.

Thousands of passengers hoping to travel to Colombo were caught unaware and were stranded at the Omanthai checkpoint. According to the ICRC about 15,000 people and more than 1500 private and public vehicles pass through the Omanthai checkpoint on their way to the north and south of the country.

Protestors burnt tyres and placed road blocks within the Vavuniya town and access roads as a mark of protest. The hartal also spread to Mannar and thousands of commuters plying to and from Mannar were inconvenienced.

The Sunday Times learns that Police were under strict instructions to prevent any unauthorised vehicles heading towards Vavuniya town, following reports that a political party in the south was trying to organise a counter protest campaign in Vavuniya. This report was confirmed by Senior Superintendent of Police, T.J.Miskin in charge of the Vavuniya division.

"We had instructed Police to be on the lookout for armed people moving about in groups," he said. Accordingly security checks were stepped up at the checkpoint in Punewa, south of Vavuniya. By Friday, the situation was returning to normal with the A9 road being re-opened.

Top

Back to News