According to Inspector General of Police (IGP) TE Anantharajah, over 500 Tamils were taken into custody. Police reports say most people were released within 24 hours, but 18 were detained. Tamil houses, shops and lodges in Piliyandala were searched on 29 June and 22 Tamils were held. On 1 July, 27 Tamils in the Colombo suburbs of Ginthupitiya and Fort were taken into custody. Two days later, 34 Tamils were arrested in various parts of the capital.
Addressing a press conference in early July, Defence Minister Tilak Marapane said that the arrests are taking place under normal law and not the Prevention of Terrorism Act (PTA). He sought to assure that the Tamils need not fear. But the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) has condemned the targeting of Tamils as a violation of human rights.
The security force search operations followed the killing of police Inspector Sunil Thabrew of the Terrorist Investigation Division (TID) in Dehiwela on 23 June. Mr Thabrew was shot dead in his quarters near Dehiwela police station. The police have arrested LTTE suspect 24 year-old Selvathurai Kirubakaran. He was well acquainted with the Inspector who had found him a job as a shop assistant.
The LTTE is accused of killing a number of members of Tamil groups and intelligence officers. On 10 June, a Tiger suspect consumed cyanide when he was arrested by police in Wellawatte. He was admitted to hospital in a critical condition. Following the incident, the police searched the lodge where he lived, and arrested 16 Tamils detaining five.
The Peace Secretariat in Colombo has complained to the SLMM accusing the Tigers of ceasefire violations. The north-east security chiefs told President Chandrika on 17 June that powers under normal law were insufficient to counter the security threat posed by the LTTE and insisted that Emergency powers are necessary. The deteriorating security situation was the main topic of discussion when the President and Prime Minister met on 20 June and at a meeting of the National Security Council on 25 June.
Parliamentary opposition parties held a demonstration in Colombo on 4 June against the killing of Southern Provincial Council minister R Ranjit in May. Police have arrested three suspects. On 16 June, People’s Alliance member and Western Provincial Council advisor Sunil Mendis was shot dead in Kandana. Former WPC United National Party (UNP) organiser Edward Silva has been arrested in connection with the murder.