“There is general understanding as to who abductors are. That’s why people are too scared to talk. That’s why none of the cases has been solved. It is very visible. But if you give others message, then you’re under threat, which is also very visible”

Lal Wikrematunga, the chairman of the respected weekly paper said.

According to the Human Rights Watch, more than 1,500 people were reportedly missing between 2005 and 2007 and more than 1,000 in 2006 alone. In its annual report of 2008, HRW highlighted 43 reported cases in Vavuniya (the ‘entry’ town to the North) in August alone, adding “many cases are not reported due to fear of reprisal”. The estimation by Civil Monitoring commission of Abduction, the local rights body, seems to be far higher. It says over 400 people have gone missing in Colombo and its suburb only since the Rajapaksa government came to power in November 2005 till recent days, whereas over 4,000 have gone missing mainly in North and East during the same period. It is Tamils who have been a major target of this ‘abduction operation’ along with far less number of Muslims and Sinhalese.

“During the peace process, the LTTE has been allowed to open their political office in government-held area based on the Cease Fire Agreement. This aimed to transform the guerrilla rebel group into a democratic political party. Those offices had conducted various ‘political events’ in North and East, which has been supported by the then government of Sri Lanka as well as international community. The events were filmed or recorded to leave footages. We found that people who participated in any of those programs have been disappeared in many cases.” Mano Ganeshan analyzed.

Sure enough, Lackshman the life-saved Tamil, has revealed that he has ‘forcibly’ participated in the LTTE’s program in late 2002. For that, he has travelled with 50 persons to cross the Muhamalai check point to go to Vanni, the then LTTE controlled heart land in the North. At checkpoint, Sri Lankan Army stopped them to take photographs and video films but eventually allowed them to proceed to Vanni.

As violence has been spread over since 2005, however, the LTTE political offices had to be closed down, while civilians who did participate in any of its programs vastly remained in government held area. Some of them have moved to Colombo to avoid violence, hoping to get a job – often job abroad – and safety. Yet Colombo is not a ‘safety zone’ either for Tamil population. While intimidation at large is said to be common to all population, it is being conducted in more humiliating form on Tamils.

Making pretext of LTTE infiltration, the government has put a measure in force that all Tamils in Colombo, whoever has lived for decades or visits for short days, must register at police station with details including bank accounts. In a registration paper, which people have to hold for being questioned at a check point or during the cordon and search operation by security forces, “purpose of stay” “intended period of stay” and other information are written. It is believed that Abduction Squad could obtain (if not share) this information to know that where their targets are originally from, as Lackshman’s letter indicated. It is also believed that the Squad has used this information to abduct Tamils business men for ransom purpose occasionally. In the end, most of Tamils are vulnerable to various troublesome, one or another.