Roanoke Times
Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: FRIDAY, June 15, 1990 TAG: 9006150406
SECTION: A-16 NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: EDITION: METRO
SOURCE: Associated Press
DATELINE: KANDY, SRI LANKA LENGTH: Medium
Piyeratna Ranaweera said he was one of 115 policemen who were captured at Kalmunai police station Monday when the rebels overran 11 police stations in the Eastern Province.
The fighting, which began Monday, was the worst violence since negotiations began between the government and the Tigers in May 1989.
At least 110 government troops have died, but one unconfirmed report said the Tamil Tiger rebels also killed 125 to 150 policemen who were among the 600 officers captured. A spokesman for the Tigers said the report could be anti-rebel propaganda.
Ranaweera said that all 115 policemen captured with him were blindfolded and the Tigers took their watches and wallets, tied their hands and gave them water. They were then taken in three buses from Kalmunai, 135 miles east of Colombo, to a rebel camp 20 miles to the south.
Ranaweera, lying in a hospital bed, said one busload of the captive policemen was taken from the Tiger camp shortly before midnight Monday.
"At 12:45 [that] night they took the second busload again to the jungle," he said in a weak voice.
He said he was blindfolded when he got off the bus so he could not see if the men from the first bus were there.
"They lined us all up and made us lie on the ground face down and they opened fire with T-56 rifles. Then they held a torch to our heads and if they heard a cry they shot again."
Ranaweera said the bullet grazed his left ear. The Tigers apparently thought he was dead and left.
He said he crawled into the jungle and realized his left arm was broken. He fixed a sling for it.
Eventually, he found a ride to the town of Damana, he said.
by CNB