Sri Lankan army officers attacked a Tamil man outside an army camp in Keppapulavu, Mullaitivu on Thursday (18th February).
The officers followed the Tamil man, who was on a motorbike with another man around 500 metres from the army, and stopped him with their patrol van. The armed officers yelled vulgar abuse in Sinhalese and then assaulted the Tamil man in an unprovoked attack.
Following the incident, the victims approached the police stationed near the Keppapulavu army camp to report the incident. A plain clothed officer promised that he would lodge a complaint on the victims behalf at the Mulliyawalai police station.
This incident represents the growing climate of intimidation and violence that Tamils in the North-East face from the state military. The army has not only assumed the responsibilities of civilian authorities but has also taken it upon itself to undertake activities that fall under the purview of the traffic police, further invading the lives of Tamils and Muslims across the North-East.
We need your support
Sri Lanka is one of the most dangerous places in the world to be a journalist. Tamil journalists are particularly at threat, with at least 41 media workers known to have been killed by the Sri Lankan state or its paramilitaries during and after the armed conflict.
Despite the risks, our team on the ground remain committed to providing detailed and accurate reporting of developments in the Tamil homeland, across the island and around the world, as well as providing expert analysis and insight from the Tamil point of view
We need your support in keeping our journalism going. Support our work today.
For more ways to donate visit https://donate.tamilguardian.com.
