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| Sunday, 17 February 2002 |
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No more police registration: Tamils welcome move by S. Selvakumar The Tamil National Alliance welcomed the move by the government to do away with the Ministry of Defence (MOD), permission to sail to the North from Trincomalee and the most cumbersome procedures hitherto in practice, where Tamils travelling to the South from the North and East were compelled to register their names with police stations in areas where they intend to reside with their kith and kin in the South. "It was such a horrible regulation that Tamils, not only from the North or East but from anywhere else from the country willing to spend a few days with their kith and kin in the South, will first have to get the police permission and also register their names and addresses with the police. In addition, they will have to carry a copy of such registration wherever they travel and ready to produce same at check-points" TNA sources pointed out. Police often overdid this requirement asking Tamils who permanently reside in the South, too, to register their names with the local police and carry a copy of the registration along with them when they travel from place to place. There were numerous instances where even permanent Tamil residents living in the South were detained at check-points for not carrying the registration document with them. The Tamil press had earlier reported a number of instances where those at checkpoints had asked the husband to get back home and bring the registration document while detaining the wife and children at checkpoints. Interior Minister John Amaratunga announced at a Colombo press conference on Friday that in future any person from anywhere in the country can proceed to any destination and stay there as long as they want without police registration. Similarly people travelling to the South from Vavuniya need not obtain a pass in Vavuniya unlike in the past, the Minister said. Mr. Amaratunga said that this decision has been taken after consultations with senior security authorities and in view of the emerging encouraging signs before fruitful peace talks with the LTTE begin. Interior Ministry has intimated this decision to all police stations and security establishments. If any police or security forces officer violates this government decision, such instances can be brought to the notice of higher authorities. Tamils living in Colombo lamented that the practice of asking Tamil residents and visitors to their homes to register with the police was a big discrimination against the Tamils and profusely thanked the government for doing away with this obnoxious regulation. |
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