The University Teachers for Human Rights - Jaffna (UTHR-J) Information Bulletin No. 31
The gathering storm in the East

(Continued from yesterday)

Persons from Political Groups Abducted by the LTTE in the East during 2002

(Unless indicated, nothing more has been heard.)

18th Janauary: Vijayanthan Vithyakaran (29), former member of PLOTE, 142, Beach Rd., navatkudah; Father Velupillai Vijyanathan.

21st February: Raju Suman, member of EPRLF(V), abducted in Valaichenai

19th July: Sellaiah Kathasamy (36), member of EPRLF(V), Thiruvalluavan Street, Pandiruppu 1, Wife: K.Utyhayarani, Children: 2

3rd December: Sellathurai Thangarasa (36), EPDP organizer, Aaron’s road, Thandavaveli, Batticaloa, Wife: Xaviour Cicilia, Children: 1

3rd December: Naharaja Nesaraja (48), member of EPDP and fomer MPC, NE, Avulia Lane, Batticaloa, Wife: Inpamalar, Children: 2.

3rd December: Kandasamy Gnanajothy (49), EPDP supporter, Kathirkamar Street, Amirthakali, Batticaloa, Wife: Ramasamy Vanitha, Children: 1.

16th December: Poopalapillai Alahathurai (35), member of EPRLF(V) and Chairman of Porativu Local Council, Theevukkadu, Mandur, Newly married. Dead body found with torture wounds: 18th December

Tamil Army Personnel who were Abducted by the LTTE in the East During 2002 & Early 2003.

9th February: Anthony Claire (36), Sri Lankan Army, Thethaveli Road, Araiyampathy, Wife: Thilagavathy, Children: 7.

3rd July: Arumugan Soundararajah (28), Sri Lankan Army, Siripala Building, Batticaloa, Wife: Thamotheram Injutha, Children: 2.

3rd January 2003: Sivasambu Pulendirarajah (44), Sri Lankan Army, 46, Lake Road 2, Batticaola.

Late September 2002, Thirukkovil: The following three children from Vinayagapuram Tamil Mixed High School were among several girls abducted and taken in a van. They escaped on 6th December (see story in section 3):

Miss Radipa Thangiah (11), Sangamankandy Pillayar Kovil Street, Sinnathottam, Thirukkovil

Miss. Sasikala Theyanayagam (11), Gayatri Village, Sinnatottam, Thirukkovil.

Miss. Thamilchelvi Krishnapillai (10), Vinayagapuram, Thirukkovil.

16th December: The LTTE conscripted 35 mainly children from an area including Kinniady and Sungankerny. All were forcibly removed from their homes. The following are among those removed from Kinniady:

Miss. Sujikala Konamalai (13)

Mas. Kannan (13),

Mas. Sasikaran (13),

Miss. Mohanakala Sundari (14),

Mas. Kanapathipillai Kandasamy (14).

The following are among those removed from Sungankerny about the same day:

Mas. Balan Thavarasa (14)

Mas.Sivaprakasam Vinayagam (14)

Mas. Illangeswaram Ketharam (17)

Miss. Suthirtha Pusparasa (17)

18th December: The following University and Technical College boys were abducted by the LTTE when they apparently went to view the floodwaters north of Batticaloa. Their parents were later summoned to collect their bicycles and personal effects.

Sivasurian Thayaparan (21)

Aathitthan(22)

Jeevathas Sathis (21)

Pakiathas Prasanthan (22)

Jeevanatham Jeevakanthan (19)

They were reportedly released after the parents of the boy who is a university student threatened to make matters awkward.

18th December: Perinpam Kumar (22) of Kalikovil St., Kudiyiruppu, Eravur was forced into a van and taken away by the LTTE.

19th December: Selvam Selvakumar of Barathy Village, Iyankerni, Chenkalady, a Grade 11 student who had just turned 17 abducted at 5.15 PM at Chenkalady Junction and spirited away in a blue van with tinted glass by men under Jim Kelly Thattha who are responsible for conscription in villages ranging northward from Eravur to Valaichenai.

Murugpillai Jeganath (16), a Grade 10 student, from Vipulananthapuram, Iyankernyi, Chenkaldy was taken about the same time.

27th December: According to the Police the following conscripts who escaped from the LTTE in Interior Batticaloa surrendered to them at the Chenkalady roadblock at 1.00 AM:

Selvamanikkam Suranji (14), Vishnu Kovil Rd, Kalkuda

Murgappa Thiskaran(16), Beach Rd, Mankadu, Chettpalayam

Irathinasingam Tavakudalvan (16), Beach Rd, Mankadu, Chettpalayam

28th December: Sivanesan Babiraj (17) of Dairy Farm Avenue, Thimilathivu, Batticaloa, was forcibly removed by LTTE men under Sivakumaran.

1st January 2003, New Year’s Day: The following escaped from the LTTE and surrendered to the Army at 1.30 AM at Black Brigade on the Chenklady ñ Badulla Road.

C. Mahesan (16), Eravur 5

Suresh Krishnapillai(16), Morakkotanchenai,

Sivanathan Surendran (16), Morakkotanchenai,

Kiruparathinam Jeyam (17), Morakkotanchenai

Kanthilingam Visvarthinam (20), Kommathurai

3rd January 2003: LTTE men, who came across the lagoon in a boat before dawn, abducted Mas. Piriyaraj Anandaraja (13) (born 1989, year 9 at RKM School) from near his home at Amarasingam Street, Araiyampathy. The father, a fisherman, complained to SLMM (Batticola) and other agencies immediately. We learn that Piriyaraj escaped from the LTTE’s Kokkadichcholai office that same night, before they could send him on and came home.

3rd January: The LTTE abducted Thamby (14) at night from his home in Pudur, near Batticaola. The child’s mother, a widow, closed the house and left immediately afterwards to look for her son. Thamby’s elder brother who was in the LTTE had surrendered to the Army and reportedly went abroad.

1st — 10th January: Mandur, Marunkernipooval, 13th Colony, Palamunai: LTTE men under Sutha and Satchi conscripted at least 14 minors from this area in the Vellavelly DS Division, the most being from Marunkernipooval. Most of the conscripts were under 16. The modus operandi used in 13th Colony was for about two dozen cadres brought to their political office to go house by house, inveigle children to come to their office and spirit them away. One youth conscripted from Mandur was Panchacharam Dharman (17). Many parents were keeping their children locked up in their homes 24 hours a day.

5th January: Morakkottanchenai, Batticaloa: The parents of Nagaraja Dineshkanthan (16) and Thangaraja Vijendran (16) complained to the Police that their sons had been forcibly removed by the LTTE.

6th January: Balasingam Prabu (15) of Boundary Road, Pudur, Batticaloa, was forcibly taken by an LTTE team under Sivakumar.

8th January: Valaichenai: The LTTE warns the people in several villages in the Valaichenai area that if they do not hand over one child for a family before the 15th they will come in and catch them. The villages include Petthalai, Puthukkudiyiruppu, Kalmadu, Kannakipuram and Vinayagapuram.

11th January: Varadaraja Ravindran (17), a van cleaner from Mavilanturai, Araiampathy, was forcibly removed by LTTE men from the Araiampathy office.

11th January: A 15 year-old-boy was among those playing in the Valaichenai Hindu College grounds who were forcibly removed by the LTTE. The parents of the boy are known to have appealed to the LTTE to release him on the grounds that he is their only child and was born to them 10 years after marriage.

(Continued tomorrow)