3. Abductions 

This is a frequent happening in the country especially after a phantom white van appearing in certain areas and abducting the Tamil youth.

Newspapers have reported many such cases .The very sight of the white van sends shock waves in the countryside.

paper reports say that in Vavuniya and the East unidentified people come in white van and abduct Tamil young men. We quote below some instances of such abductions as reported in the papers

A person Somasundaram Mamankeswaran (22 years) who was abducted by some persons who came in a white van, at Maruthamunai , is said to be detained at the Karainagar S.T.F. camp. The detainee is a resident of Periya kallaru Pillaiyar Veedi He was on his way to work, when he was forcibly taken away by the abductors .A complaint of the incident was made to H.R.C. office, Batticaloa.

Thinakkural 26/08/00.

Horror of White van continues

Gnanapragasam Gnaneswaran has retired to bed and at 10.45 P.M. when he was called by some unidentified people who came in a white van in July 2000 and took him by force. Before that they confiscated his National Identity Card and police residential pass, and they also searched the house. The men who arrested him are believed to be members of the police security co-ordination unit (SCU). The SCU has denied taking him.

Mahanama Ganage Chandrakumara and his parents Mahanama Ganage Samarapala, Pallathara VidhaneGamage Pemawathi were being threatened by police officers, to stop them from testifying against them for torturing Chandrakumara. Chandrakumara was allegedly tortured by officers at the Tangalle police station in November 1990. Five officers who were alleged to have broken his teeth were on trial. Although police torture is reported almost every day, this is one of a handful of such cases, now being tried by the High Courts. This is only one of the examples that shows not only tamils but also the Sinhalease are also being subject to the harassment at the hands of police officers.