A young Tamil man was left critically injured on Wednesday night after being struck by a Sri Lankan military vehicle in Avarankal, Jaffna in a stark reminder of the dangers posed by the heavy militarisation of the Tamil homeland.
The collision occurred when a canter-type army vehicle hit the motorcycle on which the youth was travelling. Eyewitnesses rushed to rescue him, taking him first to Achchuveli Hospital before he was transferred to the Jaffna Teaching Hospital for further treatment due to the seriousness of his injuries.
The occupying Sri Lankan police force in Achchuveli announced that an investigation had been launched into the incident. However, in the North-East, where Tamils continue to face daily harassment from security forces, confidence in the possibility of genuine accountability remains low.
For decades, Sri Lankan police and military personnel have operated with near-total impunity in the Tamil homeland, even as reports of torture, custodial deaths, land seizures and other abuses continue to surface. Families of victims, meanwhile, are left without justice.
