The Sri Lankan military is using vehicles that fleeing Tamil civilians abandoned during the final phase of the armed conflict in 2009, reported the Sunday Times.
Citing the case of 62 year old Kanthan Thadchanasingham, a farmer from Kilinochchi, it reported the military was now continuing to use his tractor that he had abandoned as he fled from shelling during the final days of the armed conflict, which saw tens of thousands of Tamil civilians killed.
Mr Thadchanasingham, who lost his 12 year old daughter due to shelling in the final months of the war, told of how his family had fled from Kilinochchi to Mullivaikkal using his tractor. On the 15 May 2009, the farmer heeded the military’s call and crossed over to Sri Lankan government territory. He was subsequently held at the Menik Farm camp in Vavuniya.
Since then he discovered his tractor, abandoned at Mullivakkal is now under the possession of the Sri Lankan military, which has been using it at the Iranamadu military camp in Kilinochchi.
“I asked the military to handover my vehicle explaining the hardship we are facing but they refused. I went to many senior officials but nothing worked,” he said. “I even borrowed money from neighbours to get a Sinhala translator and to travel to the police station in Kilinochchi. I am now in debt.”
See more from the Sunday Times here.