Registering Jaffna residents 'illegal'
 |  |
| MP says selectively taking photos of a community is against the law |
A Tamil political party in Sri Lanka has submitted a petition to the Supreme Court against forcibly registering Tamil residents in Jaffna allegedly by the security forces.
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian MA Sumandiran told BBC Sandeshaya that the measure is a violation of a previous Supreme Court order.
“This is completely illegal. You cannot selectively register a community,” he said.
The MP who is a prominent human rights lawyer further said that it is an illegal act under international law.
'Apartheid'
There was a similar system during the height of the war, he said, but that was done by the police and that provision has recently been removed from emergency regulations.
|  |
| Sri Lanka military denies MP's accusations |
He compared the situation to that of South Africa during the apartheid era.
“This was practised during apartheid era in South Africa and Sri Lanka protested to the South African regime those days,” he said.
But Sri Lanka military denies they are only targeting residents in Jaffna.
Maj Gen Ubhaya Medawala, the spokesman of Sri Lanka army said the police are registering residents of other areas in Sri Lanka.
But he did not name the other areas where residents are required to register with the security forces.
“I can say it is happening all over Sri Lanka,” he told BBC Sinhala service.
Maj Gen Madawala added that the registration is done the police not by the security forces.
