Sanasa bank top officials die in Beruwala boat tragedy

The head of a Sanasa Bank branch, his deputy, two directors and the wife of one of them were drowned when their boat capsized in the sea off Beruwala last evening, police said.

The victims, who were residents of Thalangama, had gone out on an annual trip with members of the microfinance cooperative bank and the tragedy occurred when eleven of them were returning from a visit to a light house islet.

A survivor told the Beruwala Police that the boat was hit by two big waves as they were approaching the coast and the tragedy occurred

from outside the north within the Northern Province and the heavy military presence in the North. They also raised issues about the failure to complete the resettlement process and the failure to implement the recommendations of the Lessons Learnt and Reconciliation Commission.

The three member delegation led by Hanny Megally, Chief Asia Pacific, Middle East and North Africa branch of the Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights ( OCHR), also called on Bishop of Jaffna, Rt. Rev. Thomas Savundranayagam, Jaffna’s Security Forces Commander Mahinda Hathurusinghe and officials of foreign- funded projects.

The delegation also visited the Manik farm where some 360 displaced people still remain.

In Colombo, the delegation met several representatives of NGOs such as the National Peace Council and the Sri Lanka Muslim Council. The Jathika Hela Urumaya, meanwhile, held a protest in front of the UN office against the arrival of the UN delegation.

Meanwhile, the Muslim Aid in referring to a news item in the Sunday Times of September 9, said it had not been invited by the UN team, as reported.