By

D.B.S.Jeyaraj

Tension prevails in the predominantly Muslim area of Kinniya in the Eastern province district of Trincomalee due to an altercation between the Police Special Task Force and members of the public.

Bullock carts in Kinniya-Oct 2010 pic by: Drs. Sarajevo

The clash was sparked off when the Police began checking bullock carts carrying timber and firewood in the area known as Kuttikarachi in Kinniya on Tuesday June 18th 2013.

Kinniya is about 240 km away from Colombo and 20 km away from Trincomalee.it is the hometown of Eastern Provincial Council chief minister Najeeb Abdul Majeed.

The Police had seized four carts with dry wood on the basis that there was no proper permit to fell timber or transport firewood. The occupants of the carts were also arrested.

The woodcutters and carters however engaged in a heated argument saying th Police had no business to detain them or confiscate their carts. They insisted that they were not engaged in any illegal activity.

The four bullock carts with the timber and firewood were taken to the Kinniya police station. The carters and woodcutters were detained.

By this time a large crowd had gathered at the spot and many onlookers also started shouting at the Police to let the people go.The crowd sat in the middle of the road and blocked traffic demanding the release of the carts and men.

Responding to urgent summons by the Police a detachment of Special Task Force (STF)personnel arrived at the scene.

When the STF tried to disperse the crowd the situation became volatile

At one point the STF lost patience and began using force on the protesting crowd. When met with resistance the STF personnel began to assault the people.

The crowd then turned on the STF and began pelting stones at the STF.

The STF personnel were surrounded by a rapidly increasing hostile crowd.

When the crowds tried to move close to the encircled STF, the besieged security personnel started firing in the air and warned the mob that they would fire on them if they moved closer.

The crowds then retreated but remained in the vicinity in an uneasy stand-off.Some additional STF personnel arrived at the scene in an angry mood

The STF personnel began unleashing their fury on the gathered crowd. Under the pretext of dispersing a hostile mob the STF started thrashing the people.The STF also kept firing upwards intermittently to scare the people.Some of the bullets hit the huge water tank and damaged it thus disrupting water supply.

As the STF assault intensified the terrified people scattered in panic. The STF continued to chase and assault the people. Muslim youths were singled out and beaten. They also smashed up a few vehicles.

As the STF ran amok the area began to assume a deserted look as people ran away from roads or streets.Shops and boutiques were closed. Families huddled indoors in their homes not daring to venture out.

Defence ministry authorities in Colombo were alerted.

The STF was recalled and confined to barracks.

Acting on orders relayed from Colombo personnel from the army and Navy were deployed to maintain peace in Kinniya.

Islamic religious dignitaries and political leaders from Kinniya engaged in peace talks with Police,STF and armed forces officials.They are currently engaged in trying to bring about peace by pacifying the enraged Kinniya public on the one hand and the infuriated STF on the other.

REMANDED

Four residents of Kinniya,Trincomalee allegedly involved in illicit felling and transport of timber were produced in courts by the Police on Wednesday June 19th 2013. Trincomalee Magistrate ULM Akbar ordered that the four persons be remanded until July 3rd 2013.The Magistrate also ordered that the four bullock carts and eight bulls seized by the Police should continue to be in Police custody until further notice

DBS Jeyaraj can be reached at dbsjeyaraj@yahoo.com