Grease Yaka still haunts villages

20 August, 2011

The police have arrested the residents of Thandiadi who were badly beaten by the STF

Fear prevails in many parts of Sri Lanka, especially in the east, despite repeated assurances by the police that the grease yaka (grease devil) phenomenon is a myth.

In the western coastal town of Kalpitiya residents have arrested a man suspected of being grease yaka and handed over to the police.

But the police have released the suspect saying he was suffering from a mental illness.

In Batticaloa, a clash has erupted between the local people and the police in Palmunai, Kathankudy on Friday night after the villagers spotted two strangers.

The villagers had thrown stones at the police forcing the police to call Sri Lanka army in.

Even when we make a small noise, the police are on the spot. We are suspicious about the police. We are asking them not to come to our villages A resident in Thandiadi, Batticaloa

Vehicles, houses and shops were damaged as a result, journalists say.

On Thursday, 18 residents of Thandiadi, a village where internally displaced people (IDPs) were recently resettled, were released on bail on a court order following a clash between the police Special Task Force (STF) and the villagers.

The police have arrested the residents who were badly beaten by the STF.

The situation is contributing to the mistrust between the police, security forces and the local population, villagers say

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