SL military intelligence collects details of TNA candidates in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Monday, 12 August 2013, 23:43 GMT]
The intelligence operatives of the occupying Sri Lankan military in Mannaar have been visiting the houses of candidates of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) taking part in the provincial elections and ‘registering’ the personal data, their affiliations and details of the family members in an intimidating way, the candidates taking part in the Northern Provincial Council elections say. Some of the ‘visits’ have taken place during the nights. 

Two different teams of intelligence operatives have been collecting details, one claiming that they were from ‘State Intelligence Service’ and the other team claiming as the intelligence division of the SL military in Mannaar. 

The visiting intelligence squads have been asking the TNA candidates where they studied in the past and their employment history. 

The details of family members and their whereabouts have also been registered by the visiting intelligence squads. 

A similar round of ‘intelligence harassment’ was reported before the nominations were filed to intimidate possible candidates from coming forward to participate in the elections. A former government agent of Mannaar, two lawyers, a doctor, a councillor and a village officer were intimidated this way before the nominations. 

Now, the second round of harassment targets those who have been officially nominated by the TNA.

SL minister punishes Batticaloa villagers for supporting TNA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 August 2013, 22:38 GMT]
More than 1,830 acres of paddy crops lying on the left hand channel of Unnichchai tank are in the verge of dying without water supply. Spill gates of the tank have been closed from July 25 as SL Deputy Minister in Rajapaksa government Vinayagamoorthy Muralidharan has imposed a ‘ban’ on water supply to farmers on the left channel as ‘punishment’ for their support to the parliamentarians of Tamil National Alliance in the Eastern Province, civil sources in Batticaloa said. 

The affected farmers blame the District Irrigation Engineer for penalizing them for seeking assistance from TNA parliamentarian P. Selvarasa. 

Further, the District Irrigation Engineer was also used by the Colombo government which was allegedly responsible for an attack on Tamil farmers who were cultivating paddy at Kozhuvaa-madu in Vaakaneari Poththaanai area on July 28. 

In that attack 22 Tamil farmers were injured. Following that episode, a group of farmers staged a protest demonstration against the District Irrigation Engineer, who is being used by the paramilitary leader Muraleetharan alias Karuna.