Within a week three cases involving dreaded white vans have been reported in Sri Lanka.
On 13th this month journalist’s Chamuditha Samaraweickrame’s residence was attacked by a armed group came in a white van. on 14th Justice activist Shehan Malaka Gamage was arrested by a group came in a white van. Now a 3rd such incident has been reported from Kalmunei.
The report:
Sri Lankan intelligence officers have attempted to kidnap a Tamil activist in a white van earlier today, according to Tamil National Alliance (TNA) lawmaker Shanakiyan Rasamanickam.
The parliamentarian tweeted that “unidentified men who claimed to be part of the state intelligence apparatus” had attempted to abduct the assistant secretary of the Illankai Tamil Arasu Kachchi (ITAK) youth wing in Kalmunai earlier today.
Rasamanickam also tweeted a photograph of the alleged white van, with the license plate clearly visible. (GH 9432)
“It’s important to note that Nithanshan along with MP for Ampara are arranging the signature campaign to repeal the PTA in ampara over the weekend,” he added.
White vans were routinely used by the Sri Lanka state to forcibly disappear countless individuals, particularly during the armed conflict and under the Rajapaksa regime. Just this week, gunmen in a white van attacked the home of a Sinhala journalist in the south.