Jaffna District Union for persons disappeared after arrest meets after 8 years

The Jaffna District Union for persons disappeared after being arrested by Sri Lanka Armed Forces which met in Jaffna town Monday after eight years extended an appeal to all political parties to forget their differences and cooperate with dedication to trace the youths and young women disappeared after arrest by the armed forces, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, there were many participants in the meeting who said that Minister Douglas Devnananda had told them that their children are under detention by Army Intelligence Division, during his campaigns in the last parliamentary election meeting.

A mother from Ward 10 in Pungkudutheevu in the islets of Jaffna said that Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) soldiers had arrested and taken away her three sons from her house on 19 August 2006 and they have disappeared without any trace.

The mother, Ms. Vincent Mary Rosario, said that her sons, Vincent Satprasathan, 27, Vincent Naxsi, 23 and Vincent Jeyaprathaban, 17 had been arrested and taken by SLN.

She added that Minister Douglas Devananda who had come to Pungkudutheevu during last parliamentary election for campaign had told her that Army Intelligence Division had assured him that her sons are being held in detention.

Minister Douglas Devananda, however, had later refused to give her audience though she had tried to meet him several times and that she had lost all hopes finding her sons.

More than 2000 young men and women in Jaffna district had gone missing after arrest from 1996 to 2000, particularly on two separate occasions.

There were many attendees with similar stories about Minister Douglas Devananda’s information about the persons disappeared.

The Union, however, expressed hopes that Minister Douglas Devananda will cooperate with other political parties overlooking all differences to help trace the persons gone missing.

The Union had been formed in 1996/97 period to trace more than 800 young men and women who had disappeared after arrest and it had been active along with ‘Mothers’ Association’ which had also been formed for the same purpose until 2002. It had to stop its activities due to SLA harassment.

The families of persons arrested and disappeared since 2002 too had now joined in the efforts of Jaffna Union for persons disappeared after arrest.

The appeal to the political parties and others concerned to help trace the persons disappeared was made at the end of Monday meeting.

© Tamilnet