Modera Tamils searched and videoed

A massive search operation was conducted in Modera yesterday, with over ten Tamil civilians taken into custody, the police said.

Meanwhile Modera Police OIC C. Iriyadeniya denied allegations of shabby treatment and harassment of the civilians during the operation.

Civilians in the area had complained that they were dragged out of their beds in the early hours of the morning by Police and Army personnel, lined up on a nearby ground and videoed, all in the name of a search operation.

Women and children who were still dressed in their night gowns were not spared time to change into other clothes before leaving their homes and eyewitnesses alleged the civilians were treated shabbily by the security forces who had dragged them into the open area.

“We were not even given time to change. Some of us were still in our night garments as it was only 6 in the morning. Some children were half dressed as they were preparing to go to school,” one civilian told Daily Mirror, on condition of anonymity.

Civilians further alleged that while hundreds of Tamils nationals were being lined up, they were told to remain still while the security forces videoed them individually.

“We could not utter a word. We had to do exactly what they said. Some of our children were eating biscuits or holding plates of rice in their hands when they had been dragged out. We were completely harassed,” the civilians said.

However, Modera Police OIC Iriyadeniya denied all allegations of shabby treatment and harassment towards the civilians adding that the civilians had only ‘exaggerated’ the incident.

OIC Iriyadeniya said that while the police supervised the search operation, Army personnel videoed and questioned the civilians, adding this was the norm when conducting search operations.

“We started the search operation at 6 a.m. and ended it at 10 a.m. The civilians were all lined up on a nearby ground and questioned and after we finished checking them, they were released. Around 10 civilians were, however, arrested during the inquiry,” he said.

Meanwhile, condemning the alleged harassment of Tamil civilians in yesterday morning’s search operation, Western People’s Front Leader Mano Ganeshan said that Tamils had been once again been stripped off their rights as they were lined up like criminals and videoed on the pretext of a search operation.

Mr. Ganeshan said that he had warned the Tamils in the north and east against coming to Colombo, as they would be subjected to unlawful arrests and harassment by the security forces, as done in the past. “Yesterday morning, even the children were not spared. Is this what you call democracy? This is absurd and must be stopped immediately. It is sad that the Government is blind to these issues,” Mr. Ganeshan said.