The police in Jaffna have introduced a special telephone number ‘076-6093030’ to complain on activities of the ‘Ava’ group and launched a campaign to create awareness among the general public against group whose activities had created a fear psychosis among the people in the North.

This had been done by sending police officers in groups to street corners armed with leaflets that were distributed among the people in which they explained the methods they were using to combat the activities of the group while also requesting the help of the public in this regard.

The move, spearheaded by Jaffna District DIG Palitha Fernando, came about as a result of a statement made recently by the Northern Chief Minister C.V Wigneswaran where he said the people in the north were afraid to help the police in their efforts to combat the 'Ava' group as they suspected that the security forces were working in cahoots with the group and felt that their efforts would be futile.

The police believe that the leaflet campaign would help to allay the fears of the Jaffna population and enable them to come forward to help them combat the illegal activities of the 'Ava' group and return civil administration in the north to normalcy. (Romesh Madushanka)