Ponniah Mahinan, 62, a senior lecturer in the Science Faculty of Jaffna University was missing since October 5th while being in Colombo for G.C.E. (Advanced Level) examination evaluation.

Meanwhile, several Tamil detainees at the Welikada prison have commenced a fast unto death campaign since yesterday. They have submitted a letter to the prisons authorities demanding a visit by the UN official to get a firsthand look on their plight and grievances. The government turned down a request by the UN official to visit Wanni to meet LTTE leadership and get first hand information on the ground situation there.

The body of a missing Tamil senior lecturer was found washed ashore on the Bambalapitiya beach yesterday while the UN Human Rights High Commissioner Louise Arbour is in Sri Lanka on a five-day visit to get a first hand look on the human rights situation in the country.

Ponniah Mahinan, 62, a senior lecturer in the Science Faculty of Jaffna University was missing since October 5th while being in Colombo for G.C.E. (Advanced Level) examination evaluation.

Meanwhile, several Tamil detainees at the Welikada prison have commenced a fast unto death campaign since yesterday. They have submitted a letter to the prisons authorities demanding a visit by the UN official to get a firsthand look on their plight and grievances.

Ms. Arbour is scheduled to meet relatives of missing and abducted persons in Colombo today at the office of Civil Monitoring Committee led by Colombo parliamentarian Mr. Mano Ganeshan, leader of the Western Peoples Front (WPF).

She is also scheduled to meet relatives of abducted and missing persons in Jaffna on Friday at the UN’s Jaffna office.

Ms. Arbour met the Secretary of the Defense Ministry, Gotabhya Rajapaksa yesterday and will meet President Mahinda Rajapaksa today.

A delegation of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) including parliamentarians K. Sampanathan, Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam and Suresh Premachandran met Arbour Wednesday evening at the UN office in Colombo and briefed her about the human rights situation in Sri Lanka, especially in the northeast.

The government turned down a request by the UN official to visit Wanni to meet LTTE leadership and get first hand information on the ground situation there.

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