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| Sri Lanka |
| Armed Sri Lankan groups kidnapping civilians: Amnesty |
| 2007-03-15 |
| Amnesty International said Tuesday that there were armed groups roaming camps for displaced people in the eastern Sri Lankan district of Batticaloa, and kidnapping residents. Citing its own sources, which it did not identify, Amnesty said that some of the groups were part of the Karuna faction - a breakaway rebel group - and their presence in the camps were tolerated by Sri Lankan authorities because of the group’s help in the military campaign against Tamil Tiger rebels. The London-based human rights group’s warning came as government security forces continued their offensive into a Tiger stronghold that extends from Batticaloa to the neighbouring Ampara district. There are about 120,000 refugees in the Batticaloa district, with more than 40,000 of those having fled their homes in recent days following shelling between Tiger rebels and government forces. “We are hearing reports of armed men, wearing the uniforms of the Karuna faction, roaming the camps and even distributing relief goods,” said Purna Sen, the director of Amnesty’s Asia-Pacific programme, in a statement. “There have also been reports of armed men abducting young people” from the camps, said the statement citing unidentified individuals “known to Amnesty International.” “The government has a responsibility to ensure that camps are safe and civilian in nature - it is unacceptable for men with guns to be wandering around as if they’re in control.” Amnesty also called on the government to prepare for food shortages in the camps as the conflict in the region continues |
| Posted by:Fred |