Government claims kidnapping did not take place near Welikanda check point: US calls for restraint from both parties By Munza Mushtaq

Colombo, 01 February, (Asiantribune.com): Amidst conflicting reports of the kidnapping of the alleged five Tamil Rehabilitation Organization (TRO) members by unidentified gunmen, the United States has called upon both the Government and the LTTE to exercise restraint and calm, especially in the run-up to the cease-fire talks in Geneva.

Issuing a release in Colombo, the US Embassy expressed its concern about the reported January 30 kidnapping of the five TRO members at Welikanda in Polonnaruwa District. "The Embassy urges the relevant authorities to rapidly investigate these allegations," the release added.

Five (5) staff members traveling from the Batticaloa office to Vavuniya for an accounting workshop have been kidnapped by unidentified gunmen after passing through the Welikanda, (Polonnaruwa District) Sri Lankan Army Checkpoint at approximately 16:00 hours January 30, 2006.

Meanwhile, the Sri Lankan Government denied any such incident taking place in close proximity to the Welikanda check-point. However, the Government noted that the Inspector General of Police has directed a CID team to record a statement from the TRO office in Colombo.

"Media reports have alleged that five members of the Tamil Rehabilitation Organization, an organization with links to the LTTE, have been abducted on the A11 road on Monday afternoon in close proximity to the Welikanda check-point. The government categorically denies any such incident taking place in close proximity to the Welikanda check-point.

"Furthermore, there are no records of Police entries or statements made to any Police stations and Army detachments in the area regarding this incident. The only record of such an incident is a telephone call made by Pulidevan of the LTTE in Kilinochchi to the SLMM this morning. The government confirms that no arrests or detentions of such persons have been made by the Police or by the Security forces.

Following media reports of the alleged incident, the Inspector-General of Police has directed a CID team to record a statement from the TRO office in Colombo. The Police will conduct a full investigation onto the alleged incident to ascertain the true facts of the case," the Government stated.

According to the latest release issued by the TRO Colombo office, Fourteen (14) TRO Batticaloa staff members (10 women, 4 men) and a hired driver departed Batticaloa at a pproximately 14:00 hours in a hired van (vehicle number: 250-8993). The TRO staff vehicle had registered at the Welikanda army checkpoint and was continuing its journey when a "white van" that had been parked a "few meters" (as stated by one of the women who was released) away from the checkpoint. The "white van" forced the vehicle carrying the TRO personnel to stop approximately 100 meters past the Government of Sri Lank Security Forces checkpoint on the A11 road.

Five (5) men, aged between 20 and 25 dressed in casual attire and carrying small arms, got out of the white van and entered the TRO vehicle. One of them dragged the driver out of the driver's seat dumped him into the back seat and started driving into the nearby surrounding jungle.

All the TRO personnel and the driver were blindfolded with the women's shawls and had their hands tied by the men while inside the vehicle. The vehicle was stopped inside the jungle and all the TRO personnel were taken out of the van. The men were forced to sit under a tamarind tree and the women were given back their shawls.

The TRO personnel were interviewed for approximately 2 hours during which time they were abused physically and mentally. Eventually all the girls (9), except TRO Batticaloa Chief Accountant Thanuskody Premini (also currently a university student at Eastern University), were put back into the vehicle with the driver and started to take them back to the main road When they came to the main road one of the abductors shouted that there was a police jeep up ahead on the road. Another of the armed men replied that it was not a problem for them.

Ms. Premini and the 4 male staff members listed below were detained:
Shanmuganathan Sujendram (TRO Accountant, Manikkavasahar Children's Home, Santhivelli), Thambiraja Vasantharajan (Accountant, TRO Batticaloa), Kailayapillai Ravindran (Accountant, Vipulananda Children's Home, Palugamam) and Arunesarasa Satheesharan (Accounts Trainee, Vellavali).

(http://www.asiantribune.com/show_news.php?id=16901)