People demanding answers, Enraged crowds burned a Police four wheel drive vehicle in Kinniya , Abubakr Kuddoos displays the scar on his neck inflicted by an army knife and He died young, a picture of Mowjood from his last election campaign
By Abdul H. Azeez - in Arugam Bay/Pottuvil
The Grease Devils or grease yakas’ hold on the public imagination is reaching epic levels. Mass paranoia, fear and outrage have broken out in the Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampara districts with the public taking the law into their own hands.
Some blame law enforcement officials for not taking enough interest in the complaints, others blame a paranoid public and fear-mongering as the primary culprits and call them the real grease yakas. Whilst yet others, a growing majority, quietly point to actual attacks and instances of abuse and say that there is no smoke without fire.
The quiet beach front town of Arugam Bay is bustling with ever increasing tourist activity. I arrived on Wednesday (17) on the inaugural Sri Lankan airlines flight, a sea plane that starts from Kelaniya and reaches Arugam Bay in a record 50 minutes. The plane swoops over the lagoon affording a beautiful view and if I was not here exclusively on work, nothing but the beach would have been on my mind. But the relaxed attitude of the town, with its laid-back lifestyle that draws so many people there, was marred last week by a brief but bloody spurt of violence that left one man dead in the nearby town of Pottuvil.
Inquiries made by The Sunday Leader revealed that several incidents contributed to the outbreak of violence, and at the root of it all, lay the sinister presence of the grease yakas. The question then is, who and what are these grease yakas? Are they a figment of the public’s imagination? A collective hallucination caused perhaps, by something in the water?
Some blame law enforcement officials for not taking enough interest in the complaints, others blame a paranoid public and fear-mongering as the primary culprits and call them the real grease yakas. Whilst yet others, a growing majority, quietly point to actual attacks and instances of abuse and say that there is no smoke without fire.
The quiet beach front town of Arugam Bay is bustling with ever increasing tourist activity. I arrived on Wednesday (17) on the inaugural Sri Lankan airlines flight, a sea plane that starts from Kelaniya and reaches Arugam Bay in a record 50 minutes. The plane swoops over the lagoon affording a beautiful view and if I was not here exclusively on work, nothing but the beach would have been on my mind. But the relaxed attitude of the town, with its laid-back lifestyle that draws so many people there, was marred last week by a brief but bloody spurt of violence that left one man dead in the nearby town of Pottuvil.
Inquiries made by The Sunday Leader revealed that several incidents contributed to the outbreak of violence, and at the root of it all, lay the sinister presence of the grease yakas. The question then is, who and what are these grease yakas? Are they a figment of the public’s imagination? A collective hallucination caused perhaps, by something in the water?
East Coast on fire
Several incidents have left mass fear in their wake across the whole East Coast. On Saturday, August 13, a woman in Muttur was attacked in her own kitchen. The attacker escaped but villagers were hot on his trail. He disappeared into a Navy camp, and villagers later burned down a checkpoint leading to the camp. In Batticaloa on Wednesday, August 17, a girl was attacked and her ring finger was cut by an unknown man. Frightened people then set about burning down a police checkpoint demanding that the suspect be caught.
In Pottuvil, two particular incidents were key in the grea-se yaka phobia reaching unprecedented levels. On Wednesday, August 10, J. Aashika (22) stepped out of her house at 8.30 p.m to fetch some water by the side of the house. Her family, not knowing that she had stepped out, shut the door behind her. She was collecting water from the tap when suddenly she was lifted by her underarms onto the roof. She struggled and tried to scream but started feeling faint and could not utter a sound. But she continued to struggle for all she was worth. Dragged halfway up the roof, she finally managed to bite down hard on her attacker’s thumb, causing him to release her. She then tumbled down the sloped cajun roof and landed hard on the ground. The commotion brought her family outside, her brother-in-law M. M. Samoon shone his torch and managed to see a fleeing figure dressed in black.
Aashika thinks there were two of them. One was holding her and another supporting him as he leaned down from the roof. She says she felt polythene like substance covering his arms, and tasted something bitter when she bit down on his finger. There was some white chemical residue that was on her face which she says caused her to feel faint. Aashika was taken to hospital for two days before returning home.
A.L. Asara is 30 years old and lives with her children. Panicked upon hearing about the grease yaka scares, she started sleeping with her sister next door. However she would still cook at home. It was when she was going in to check on dinner that she was ambushed right inside her home. Her attacker waited for her by an open window, with another waiting on top of the wall. The first man grabbed her from behind and wrapped her shawl around her neck tightly as he handed over the struggling Asara to his companion on the roof who proceeded to haul her upwards. That’s when she flung a burning old lamp in the first man’s face which got soaked in kerosene and started burning up. Her attackers then released her and left.
Villagers say that the attacks are keenly organised. Aashika heard footsteps on their roof about an hour before she stepped out. From the way they jumped about and ran away very fast, they deduced that the individuals were extremely athletic. Asara told her family that the first man gave a signal to the second when he wanted her to be lifted up. It was all done with deadly efficiency in both cases before the would-be victims managed to fight back and escape.
Several incidents have left mass fear in their wake across the whole East Coast. On Saturday, August 13, a woman in Muttur was attacked in her own kitchen. The attacker escaped but villagers were hot on his trail. He disappeared into a Navy camp, and villagers later burned down a checkpoint leading to the camp. In Batticaloa on Wednesday, August 17, a girl was attacked and her ring finger was cut by an unknown man. Frightened people then set about burning down a police checkpoint demanding that the suspect be caught.
In Pottuvil, two particular incidents were key in the grea-se yaka phobia reaching unprecedented levels. On Wednesday, August 10, J. Aashika (22) stepped out of her house at 8.30 p.m to fetch some water by the side of the house. Her family, not knowing that she had stepped out, shut the door behind her. She was collecting water from the tap when suddenly she was lifted by her underarms onto the roof. She struggled and tried to scream but started feeling faint and could not utter a sound. But she continued to struggle for all she was worth. Dragged halfway up the roof, she finally managed to bite down hard on her attacker’s thumb, causing him to release her. She then tumbled down the sloped cajun roof and landed hard on the ground. The commotion brought her family outside, her brother-in-law M. M. Samoon shone his torch and managed to see a fleeing figure dressed in black.
Aashika thinks there were two of them. One was holding her and another supporting him as he leaned down from the roof. She says she felt polythene like substance covering his arms, and tasted something bitter when she bit down on his finger. There was some white chemical residue that was on her face which she says caused her to feel faint. Aashika was taken to hospital for two days before returning home.
A.L. Asara is 30 years old and lives with her children. Panicked upon hearing about the grease yaka scares, she started sleeping with her sister next door. However she would still cook at home. It was when she was going in to check on dinner that she was ambushed right inside her home. Her attacker waited for her by an open window, with another waiting on top of the wall. The first man grabbed her from behind and wrapped her shawl around her neck tightly as he handed over the struggling Asara to his companion on the roof who proceeded to haul her upwards. That’s when she flung a burning old lamp in the first man’s face which got soaked in kerosene and started burning up. Her attackers then released her and left.
Villagers say that the attacks are keenly organised. Aashika heard footsteps on their roof about an hour before she stepped out. From the way they jumped about and ran away very fast, they deduced that the individuals were extremely athletic. Asara told her family that the first man gave a signal to the second when he wanted her to be lifted up. It was all done with deadly efficiency in both cases before the would-be victims managed to fight back and escape.
Authorities not buying it
Considering that the first reaction of the police in response to complaints of grease yaka attacks was pure disbelief; it is perhaps notsurprising that there is a lingering suspicion amongst the public that these attacks could be linked to the armed forces.
However, according to the OIC of the Pottuvil Police, Chief Inspector Wasantha Kumara, the evidence that grease yakas existed is doubtful. “The victims’ statements are dubious and full of holes,” he says. “One victim claimed to have been lifted by the shawl some eight feet off the ground, this is usually enough to strangle a normal person. The cuts on their arms are also strange; they are more likely to have been caused by dragging a safety pin across the skin than anything else,” he claimed. He added that no clear descriptions were given by the suspects and the Police had made no arrests.
The situation is the same in the rest of the East Coast. Speaking to The Sunday Leader, Major General Boniface Perera said that the troubles in Muttur and Kinniya were created by drug traffickers and fishermen using illegal methods such as dynamite to fish. “We have the situation under control now. There is also a local politician involved and we mean to stop this as soon as possible. The people must be made to realise that there is only one government and one law,” he said. Perera added that no arrests had been made in the Trincomalee district but three Tamils had been arrested in Batticaloa.
Considering that the first reaction of the police in response to complaints of grease yaka attacks was pure disbelief; it is perhaps notsurprising that there is a lingering suspicion amongst the public that these attacks could be linked to the armed forces.
However, according to the OIC of the Pottuvil Police, Chief Inspector Wasantha Kumara, the evidence that grease yakas existed is doubtful. “The victims’ statements are dubious and full of holes,” he says. “One victim claimed to have been lifted by the shawl some eight feet off the ground, this is usually enough to strangle a normal person. The cuts on their arms are also strange; they are more likely to have been caused by dragging a safety pin across the skin than anything else,” he claimed. He added that no clear descriptions were given by the suspects and the Police had made no arrests.
The situation is the same in the rest of the East Coast. Speaking to The Sunday Leader, Major General Boniface Perera said that the troubles in Muttur and Kinniya were created by drug traffickers and fishermen using illegal methods such as dynamite to fish. “We have the situation under control now. There is also a local politician involved and we mean to stop this as soon as possible. The people must be made to realise that there is only one government and one law,” he said. Perera added that no arrests had been made in the Trincomalee district but three Tamils had been arrested in Batticaloa.
Man dies in Pottuvil
Back in Pottuvil, on the night of Thursday, August 11, four incidents culminated in the violent protests on Friday. The most prominent was an incident in the nearby village Urady where several Army officers were accosted by crowds and assaulted. The army later fought back and made several arrests. Another incident was reported in Pakiawatte; mass panic was caused when people found a police uniform at a house that had been deemed suspicious for some time since it was inhabited by strangers. The attack on Aashika the previous night combined with developing tensions on Thursday. The residents of the Jaico housing scheme were uneasy about several army officers who had suddenly appeared on the premises and all this ultimately resulted in bloodshed, army assault and multiple arrests the next day.
Former SSP and Provincial Councilor Abdul Majeed confirmed this. He said that he was called to Pakiawatte to investigate the police uniform incident by a frantic public. “I went there and found out that the uniforms actually belonged to a constable who had rented out the house.” Having figured this out Majeed then went about trying to calm the hundreds of agitated people who were spoiling for a fight. “I told them to return to their homes or risk being arrested for assault and robbery”. The crowds then dispersed.
Meanwhile, in Urany, matters were escalating. The persons who were arrested were heavily beaten up and taken to the Pottuvil Police Station. Afterwards they were transported to the Moneragala hospital for treatment.
Abubakr Kuddoos who was one of the arrested told The Sunday Leader later on, that he was nowhere near the incident when it took place “I was returning from Akkaraipatthu where my wife was giving birth to a baby girl. I was returning on a motorbike with a friend when two army four wheel drive vehicles surrounded me. I was then beaten up mercilessly and they held a knife to my neck,” he said, pointing at the scar left across his throat, still fresh.
The protests that happened on Friday were in response to these arrests. Crowds were agitating for the release of Kuddoos and the other five who were arrested. They got so wild that the police immediately brought them back. Majeed says he then approached the crowds and asked them to peacefully disperse, saying that they had got what they wanted. However, they then started calling for the removal of the Army from Pottuvil altogether, claiming that they could not tolerate their presence.
In the midst of this, in what would turn out to be an extremely unwise move, the army itself was brought in to control the crowds. Things came to a head and Majeed says that several shots were heard being fired. When a commotion was heard outside his office, he stepped out with M. A. M Mowjood who had come in with his sister, who was distraught about her son being taken in during a fresh wave of arrests made by the police that day. They stepped out on to the street to find three army officers collectively assaulting a single young man. Majeed yelled out for them to stop. At that moment, one army officer turned and fired a shot from his rifle. This instantly killed Mowjood who was standing right next to Majeed.
Impunity
Mowjood is survived by his wife and 3 children. He was a carpenter by trade and also dabbled in politics. A court hearing on his murder is currently underway, but not many are willing to come forward to identify his killer. People are too afraid of army retaliation. Currently only one witness has claimed that he can accurately identify the officer involved. S. A. A Munasudeen, a lawyer practicing in the area said that “this is clear cut murder; the shooter had absolutely no right to use his weapon in a public place. There is one witness who is willing to testify and we hope to use him to prosecute.” Munasudeen also hopes to petition for a Fundamental Rights case in the Supreme Court.
Back in Pottuvil, on the night of Thursday, August 11, four incidents culminated in the violent protests on Friday. The most prominent was an incident in the nearby village Urady where several Army officers were accosted by crowds and assaulted. The army later fought back and made several arrests. Another incident was reported in Pakiawatte; mass panic was caused when people found a police uniform at a house that had been deemed suspicious for some time since it was inhabited by strangers. The attack on Aashika the previous night combined with developing tensions on Thursday. The residents of the Jaico housing scheme were uneasy about several army officers who had suddenly appeared on the premises and all this ultimately resulted in bloodshed, army assault and multiple arrests the next day.
Former SSP and Provincial Councilor Abdul Majeed confirmed this. He said that he was called to Pakiawatte to investigate the police uniform incident by a frantic public. “I went there and found out that the uniforms actually belonged to a constable who had rented out the house.” Having figured this out Majeed then went about trying to calm the hundreds of agitated people who were spoiling for a fight. “I told them to return to their homes or risk being arrested for assault and robbery”. The crowds then dispersed.
Meanwhile, in Urany, matters were escalating. The persons who were arrested were heavily beaten up and taken to the Pottuvil Police Station. Afterwards they were transported to the Moneragala hospital for treatment.
Abubakr Kuddoos who was one of the arrested told The Sunday Leader later on, that he was nowhere near the incident when it took place “I was returning from Akkaraipatthu where my wife was giving birth to a baby girl. I was returning on a motorbike with a friend when two army four wheel drive vehicles surrounded me. I was then beaten up mercilessly and they held a knife to my neck,” he said, pointing at the scar left across his throat, still fresh.
The protests that happened on Friday were in response to these arrests. Crowds were agitating for the release of Kuddoos and the other five who were arrested. They got so wild that the police immediately brought them back. Majeed says he then approached the crowds and asked them to peacefully disperse, saying that they had got what they wanted. However, they then started calling for the removal of the Army from Pottuvil altogether, claiming that they could not tolerate their presence.
In the midst of this, in what would turn out to be an extremely unwise move, the army itself was brought in to control the crowds. Things came to a head and Majeed says that several shots were heard being fired. When a commotion was heard outside his office, he stepped out with M. A. M Mowjood who had come in with his sister, who was distraught about her son being taken in during a fresh wave of arrests made by the police that day. They stepped out on to the street to find three army officers collectively assaulting a single young man. Majeed yelled out for them to stop. At that moment, one army officer turned and fired a shot from his rifle. This instantly killed Mowjood who was standing right next to Majeed.
Impunity
Mowjood is survived by his wife and 3 children. He was a carpenter by trade and also dabbled in politics. A court hearing on his murder is currently underway, but not many are willing to come forward to identify his killer. People are too afraid of army retaliation. Currently only one witness has claimed that he can accurately identify the officer involved. S. A. A Munasudeen, a lawyer practicing in the area said that “this is clear cut murder; the shooter had absolutely no right to use his weapon in a public place. There is one witness who is willing to testify and we hope to use him to prosecute.” Munasudeen also hopes to petition for a Fundamental Rights case in the Supreme Court.
All women of ill fame
Speaking strictly on conditions of anonymity to The Sunday Leader a senior Army official said that all the grease yaka attacks were a figment of the public imagination. “There is absolutely no evidence to support the grease yaka theory. It has been created out of thin air by an atmosphere of fear”. He went on to question the virtues of the women allegedly attacked, saying that they were ‘either divorced, widows, or prostitutes” a statement inaccurate in at least one instance. When asked, the officer hotly denied that the army had done any shooting. Any bullets fired were by “LTTE weapons illegally kept by villagers” He also blamed the triggering of the unrest at Urany on dormant LTTE aggravators.
Why the army did nothing to tackle these so-called LTTE related events remains a mystery. What is also a mystery is the actual status of the grease yaka attacks. Several false arrests and reports of villagers beating up innocent strangers have served only to muddy the waters. Even in Muttur subsequent inquiries failed to procure evidence that any attacker was actually seen. M. Azhar, a government official in Muttur told us that after the Navy checkpoint was burned, villagers who were questioned had nothing concrete to say on what they saw or heard. In Pottuvil two more false alarms were reported this week.
Attacks are real
But the fact remains that some attacks are real, and that these attacks are perpetrated by extremely athletic individuals who carry out detailed reconnaissance prior to making their move. If not covered in grease, some form of slippery clothing is used. Of late, Sri Lanka has been plagued by such random novelty crimes. The beggar killings that went largely unsolved a few months ago are another example. The grease yaka has caused mayhem not through its actual attacks but by spreading mass fear and paranoia among an already edgy public.
Speaking strictly on conditions of anonymity to The Sunday Leader a senior Army official said that all the grease yaka attacks were a figment of the public imagination. “There is absolutely no evidence to support the grease yaka theory. It has been created out of thin air by an atmosphere of fear”. He went on to question the virtues of the women allegedly attacked, saying that they were ‘either divorced, widows, or prostitutes” a statement inaccurate in at least one instance. When asked, the officer hotly denied that the army had done any shooting. Any bullets fired were by “LTTE weapons illegally kept by villagers” He also blamed the triggering of the unrest at Urany on dormant LTTE aggravators.
Why the army did nothing to tackle these so-called LTTE related events remains a mystery. What is also a mystery is the actual status of the grease yaka attacks. Several false arrests and reports of villagers beating up innocent strangers have served only to muddy the waters. Even in Muttur subsequent inquiries failed to procure evidence that any attacker was actually seen. M. Azhar, a government official in Muttur told us that after the Navy checkpoint was burned, villagers who were questioned had nothing concrete to say on what they saw or heard. In Pottuvil two more false alarms were reported this week.
Attacks are real
But the fact remains that some attacks are real, and that these attacks are perpetrated by extremely athletic individuals who carry out detailed reconnaissance prior to making their move. If not covered in grease, some form of slippery clothing is used. Of late, Sri Lanka has been plagued by such random novelty crimes. The beggar killings that went largely unsolved a few months ago are another example. The grease yaka has caused mayhem not through its actual attacks but by spreading mass fear and paranoia among an already edgy public.
Tension in Trinco
- Grease Yakas and Navy Checkpoints Worry the Public
By Maryam AzwerLocals in certain areas of the Trincomalee district claim that their lives have been disrupted, first by alleged grease yaka sightings, and now by the setting up of several navy checkpoints.
“The situation here is very upsetting because the normalcy in our people’s lives has been disrupted,” said Mohammad Jihad, Convener of the Muttur-based People’s Forum.
Muttur Divisional Secretary, N. Selvanayakam, said that there were several rumours of grease yakas circulating in the area. He said that although there was no real proof of such a miscreant, people claimed to have sighted an alleged grease yaka last weekend. Residents had later clashed with navy officials, claiming that the offender had run off in the direction of a navy checkpoint.
“The people are afraid at night and sometimes the men gather in groups to keep watch,” said Selvanayakam.
Additional navy checkpoints have now been set up in the area, amidst public apprehension. “There has been much inconvenience caused to the fishing community in particular,” said Jihad.
When contacted, Navy Spokesperson Commander Kosala Warnakulasuriya however said that although security had been strengthened since last week’s incidents, the checking was normal. “We check everyone before they leave for fishing to ensure that they do not use dynamite or other illegal means of fishing,” he said. Meanwhile, reports from the Kinniya division indicate an even tenser situation. Last week witnessed clashes between the navy and the people, and protests by angry mobs in Kinniya.
Following these events, several navy checkpoints have been set up, and the public claims that they feel uneasy about the situation. Speaking to The Sunday Leader on Friday (19), Eastern Security Forces Commander Major General Boniface Perera claimed that the checkpoints were being set up to counter drug trafficking, theft and the illegal use of dynamite in fishing. “There have been no more rumours [of the grease yaka], although some people have opposed the setting up of the checkpoints, and these are mostly people involved in illegal activities,” he said.-
And Now A “Grease Yaka” Fan Page
By Raisa WickrematungeContinued reports of alleged grease yaka attacks have begun to receive increased attention on social media and the Internet. An official ‘grease yaka’ fan page has been set up on social networking site Facebook.
The page had 2,736 fans on Friday (19). The picture used features a man covered in what appears to be grease. The page lists its personal interests as ‘grease and girls’. Several people have already commented on the page asking about the ‘grease devil’s next move, while others asked why the ‘devil’ did not visit their houses. Several other similar pages have already sprung up on the site.
Meanwhile, another user has registered a new ‘spoof’ Twitter account under the name ‘Grease Yaka’. ‘You are next,’ the first tweet reads. The last update posted was on Monday (15).
There is also a ‘grease devil’ Wikipedia page claiming that at least 30 instances of grease yaka attacks have been recorded across the East coast, while 47 had been arrested as of July. The page also sites ‘sources’ as saying the attacks could be engineered by politicians or underworld figures to get rid of dissenters. However, there is no document or named source to back up this claim.
The interest in the grease yaka comes following several reported attacks in areas like Pottuvil, Haputale, Badulla and Kinniya, with unidentified men entering homes and attacking women or in some cases robbing valuables. A resident in Badulla last week told The Sunday Leader that several of the so-called devils who attempted to launch an attack there were seen jumping into Defenders and speeding away.
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