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Rajapakse orders probe into violence in northern Jaffna

V.S. Sambandan

Concern that it was due to "changed military leadership"

Mahinda Rajapakse

COLOMBO: Sri Lankan President Mahinda Rajapakse has ordered the defence authorities to submit a report on Monday's violence in Jaffna, in which at least seven civilians and three soldiers were injured, the state-run Daily News said on Tuesday.

Mr. Rajapakse, who is also the Defence Minister, called for the report amidst concern among a section of the northern residents that the violence was a result of the "changed military leadership."

"End harassment"

Violence broke out in Jaffna on Monday when the Army stopped near the Jaffna University a group of protesters demanding "the end of harassment of students by the security forces." The tension coincided with efforts by the Government to restart the stalled peace talks with the LTTE.

In a change from its earlier position, Colombo last week offered to consider an Asian venue to hold talks to discuss the implementation of the ceasefire agreement. The LTTE rejected the offer and stuck to its initial demand that the parleys be held in an European country, preferably Norway.

A report on TamilNet on Monday quoted an MP from the LTTE-backed Tamil National Alliance as saying that the "Government must stop all atrocities on Tamil civilians" before the peace talks could resume.

Though Jaffna is under Government control, the LTTE has a significant hold over the peninsula. The latest troubles started with the killing of two LTTE supporters "by an unidentified gunman" two weeks ago. Following this, a suspected LTTE front organisation set off claymore attacks, in which at least 15 soldiers were killed.

During the subsequent lull in violence, a suspected LTTE front organisation, calling itself the Roaring Tamil Force, on December 15 warned of renewed attacks against the Army unless its demands were met. One of its demands was that "all military attacks that affect the education of Tamil students be stopped immediately."

Another immediate reason cited for the latest tension was the recovery of the body of a 21-year-old woman from a well near a Navy camp in Jaffna on Sunday.

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