1000 TAMILS COME WEEKLY (99 Aug 25)
According to "Divaina" between 1000 and 1500 Tamils from the northern and eastern provinces and from the hill region come to Kolomba weekly. The newspaper quoting police sources claim that these people come under various pretext, such as to obtain a passport, for medical treatment, to meet relatives coming back from abroad. They register at various police stations but do not seem to go back to their homes according to police sources.
From the 15th to 20th of this month alone 1325 Tamils have been registered at various police stations in and around Kolomba. The police believe that LTTE members have also come to Kolomba under the guise of temporary residents making it difficult for the police to arrest them. The population of Tamils in the Kolomba city limits have increased rapidly and some estimate it to be around 60%.