Grease Devils (Sri Lanka)

http://print.dailymirror.lk/news/front-page-news/51888.html

Daily Mirror [Sri Lanka]
2 August 2011

Drunken ‘grease devils’ scare women

By Prasanna Pathmasiri

Seven youths who were alleged to have been frightening women at night have been arrested, police said yesterday.

They said four of them were residents of Dodamgolla while two were from Ambagolla and would be produced in courts this week. Police said these youths known as “Grease devils”, peeped into homes while roaming the streets at nights after consuming liquor.

Frightened women in the area began locking their homes after 6.00 p.m.

http://www.dailynews.lk/2011/08/05/sec04.asp

Daily News [Sri Lanka]
5 August 2011

Grease yakas, a fiction - SP

Nadira Gunatilleke

The grease yaka or the bhuthaya is a myth. The public should not be misled and terrified by rumours because certain persons and groups are trying to take political and other advantage from such fabricated stories, police spokesman SP Prishantha Jayakody said. [...]

http://print.dailymirror.lk/news/news/52825.html
Daily Mirror [Sri Lanka]
11 August 2011
STF on the look out for ‘grease devils’

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/latest/9657-three-die-in-qgrease-devilq-curse.html

Sunday Times [Sri Lanka]
11 August 2011

Three die in "Grease Devil" curse

At least three people have been killed and scores of others injured including several policemen as tension mounts in the ongoing ‘Grease Devil’ scare that has rocked several parts of the country over the past few days.

In the most recent incident two suspected "Grease Devils" were chopped to death by villagers while intimidating women tea pluckers at an estate in the Haputale police area earlier today. [...]

http://print.dailymirror.lk/news/news/52824.html
Daily Mirror [Sri Lanka]
11 August 2011
Dancing the devil

http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/12887-stf-to-go-after-grease-devils.html

Daily Mirror [Sri Lanka]
11 August 2011

STF to go after ‘Grease Devils’

Three teams from the elite Special Task Force (STF) have been deployed in to the Hatton area to track down individuals engaged in frightening women and taking away their belongings by posing as ‘Grease Devils.’ [...]

http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/12910-grease-devils--myth-igp.html

Daily Mirror [Sri Lanka]
11 August 2011

‘Grease Devils’ -- Myth: IGP

Inspector General of Police (IGP) N. K. Illangakoon informed the public that the so called ‘Grease Devils’ is a myth and said that the police have arrested almost all the suspects, 47 persons involved in robberies and frightening women.

He said that the public should not disrupt their day to day activities because of these fake people. During investigations it was revealed that some had spread stories about Grease Devils roaming the area to carry out robberies and some had done so for fun. [...]

http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFTRE77B3PS20110812

Reuters
12 August 2011

"Grease Devil" panic grips rural Sri Lanka, at least three dead

By Shihar Aneez and Ranga Sirilal

COLOMBO (Reuters) - Panic over nighttime assaults blamed on "grease devils" has struck across rural Sri Lanka, leading to the deaths of at least three people this week, prompting women to stay indoors and men to arm themselves, police and local media said.

Historically, a "grease devil" was a thief who wore only underwear and covered his body in grease to make himself difficult to grab if chased. But lately, the "grease devil" has become a nighttime prowler who frightens and attacks women.

"The story we hear is he comes and bites young women's necks and breasts. Despite several complaints, the police have failed to act on that and in fact in two places have released the culprits," a 36-year-old airline ticketing agent from the Hill Country district of Matale said, speaking on condition of anonymity for fear of upsetting authorities. [...]

http://print.dailymirror.lk/news/news/53029.html
Daily Mirror [Sri Lanka]
13 August 2011
Site of ‘grease devil’ saga gets STF protection

http://print.dailymirror.lk/news/front-page-news/53047.html

Daily Mirror [Sri Lanka]
13 August 2011

Curfew in Pottuvil

One Killed in Clashes

By Supun Dias

Police imposed a dusk to dawn curfew in the Pottuvil area yesterday after clashes between civilians and law enforcement authorities intensified leaving one dead and five injured.

The tense situation erupted in Pottuvil as a result of people mistaking officers engaged in elephant census hiding in jungles as ‘Grease Devils’, robbers and army deserters.

The victim who died of gunshot injuries was identified as a Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC) candidate in Pottuvil. [...]

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/110814/Columns/focus.html

The Sunday Times [Sri Lanka]
14 August 2011

An unbelievable collapse of confidence in law enforcement

By Kishali Pinto Jayawardene

Alongside a picturesque stretch of coastline between Akkaraipattu and Pottuvil in Sri Lanka’s East Coast, a tire burning brightly in the centre of the road is etched starkly against crisp morning light. Given Sri Lanka’s history, when bodies burning on top of tires were once a common sight across the country, this was an unsettling reminder that the past is inclined, more often than not, to repeat itself.

This time around, the burning tire was no commonplace accident. It was a deliberate sign of civil unrest, pointing to mystifying encounters that frightened villagers have had with ‘grease devils’ or men who were repeatedly attacking homes and stabbing women, particularly young girls and drawing blood from them. [...]

http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2011/08/14/the-grease-yaka-sightings-fact-vs-myth/
The Sunday Leader [Sri Lanka]
14 August 2011
The Grease Yaka Sightings: Fact Vs. Myth
By Raisa Wickrematunge

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/110814/News/nws_15.html
Sunday Times [Sri Lanka]
14 August 2011
What the devil is going on?
By Chris Kamalendran

http://www.dailynews.lk/2011/08/15/pol01.asp

Daily News [Sri Lanka]
15 August 2011

Political movement behind monster canard

Chandrika Perera

It is revealed that a political movement which is in a steep decline is behind the rumours of grease monsters to create disorder in the country. The same political group had been the force behind instigating terror during the period of 1988-89 with a message written on a piece of paper. [...]

http://print.dailymirror.lk/news/front-image/53295.html

The Daily Mirror [Zimbabwe]
16 August 2011

Peace in East after turmoil

Mobs lay siege to Kinniya DS office for hours

By Supun Dias

The Kinniya Divisional Secretariat office was surrounded by hundreds of people for several hours yesterday demanding the release of 24 suspects arrested in connection with attacking the police and damaging state property in Kinniya the previous night.

Eastern Province Security Forces Commander Major General Boniface Perera, Trincomalee Government Agent Rtd. Major General Ranjith De Silva and several government officers had to stay within the premises for over four hours due to the siege.

The situation started with a mob allegedly led by traders in the area attacking the Kinniya Navy detachment the previous night demanding to hand over two persons, claiming that they were Grease Devils. The unruly mob later stoned the camp and as a result police arrested 24 people for unruly behaviour. [...]

http://af.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idAFTRE77E3L120110815
Reuters
15 August 2011
Thousands of Sri Lankans besiege government office
By Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Aneez

http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/13019-market-researches-on-grease-devils.html

The Daily Mirror [Sri Lanka]
16 August 2011

Market researches on grease devils

Market research companies have become the latest victims of the ‘Grease Devils’ phenomenon after it was found that a number of door-to-door research representatives were subject to harassment by residents who suspected them to be grease devils. [...]

http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2011/08/14/sec01.asp
Sunday Observer [Sri Lanka]
14 August 2011
Pottuvil calm after the high drama
by Jayampathy JAYASINGHE

http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2011/08/over-100-arrested-as-grease-yaka.html
Sri Lanka Guardian
17 August 2011
Over 100 arrested as "grease yaka" suspects

http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2011/08/more-protests-over-grease-yakas-in-east.html

Sri Lanka Guardian
17 August 2011

More protests over 'Grease Yakas' in east

(August 17, Colombo, Sri Lanka Guardian) Villagers broke into the Vavunathivu Divisional Secretary’s office and damaged property after claiming that three ‘Grease Yakas’ entered the nurses quarters at night and police had failed to take action. [...]

http://www.dailymirror.lk/news/13026-grease-yakas-saga-continues-in-n-eliya-.html

Daily Mirror [Sri Lanka]
17 August 2011

Grease Devils – Saga continues in N' Eliya

Senior DIG Gamini Navaratne said the administration of 137 estates in the Nuwara Eliya District had been crippled by the fear psychosis created by an organised group under the pretext of spirits called Grease Devils. Addressing a meeting of estate managers and superintendents in Nuwara Eliya and Hatton police divisions he said the mysterious killings in Kahawatta created a misconception among the public that an invisible being was responsible for the killings and that it gradually spread to several areas of the country. [...]

http://print.dailymirror.lk/news/news/53467.html

Daily Mirror [Sri Lanka]
18 August 2011

Police awareness programmes on ‘Grease Devils’

By Supun Dias

The Police Department is conducting awareness programmes to educate the people and to prevent the spread of rumours on ‘Grease Devils’ in villages islandwide. So far the police have conducted such programmes in 1856 villages. [...]

http://print.dailymirror.lk/news/news/53731.html

Daily Mirror [Sri Lanka]
20 August 2011

Police yet to uncover grease devil mystery: UNP

By Yohan Perera

The main opposition United National Party (UNP) said yesterday the failure on the part of the authorities to uncover the mystery behind the ‘Grease Yaka’ phenomenon had resulted in the situation getting out of hand with fear and panic spreading among the people. [...]

http://print.dailymirror.lk/news/news/53727.html

Daily Mirror [Sri Lanka]
20 August 2011

Rumour-monger released

By T. Farook Thajudeen

A man who was arrested on charges of having spread rumours about a grease devil roaming the area causing fear and panic among the residents of Bhai-ge-watte at Wolvendhal Street was severely warned and released by a Colombo Court yesterday.

Chief Magistrate Rashmi Singappuli warned suspect Mohamed Riznas who pleaded guilty to the charge that if he repeated this type of rumour mongering, he would be sternly dealt with.

http://www.thesundayleader.lk/2011/08/21/grease-devils-busting-the-myth/

The Sunday Leader [Sri Lanka]
20 August 2011

Grease Devils: Busting The Myth

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. [...]

Grease Yakas and Navy Checkpoints Worry the Public

By Maryam Azwer

Locals 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. [...]

And Now A “Grease Yaka” Fan Page

By Raisa Wickrematunge

Continued 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. [...]

http://www.sundayobserver.lk/2011/08/14/oostory.asp?sid=20110820_03&imid=fb.jpg&dt=%5BAugust%2020%202011%5D

Sunday Observer [Sri Lanka]
20 August 2011

Grease Devil on face book ?

Sri Lanka Computer Emergency Response Team (SLCERT) said any complaints of fake accounts with name the name Grease Yaka on the famous social network site facebook can lodge to them to handover such complaints to the Criminal Investigation division for further investigations. [...]

http://www.facebook.com/GreaseYAKOZ?sk=wall&filter=2
Grease Yaka (The Grease Devil )
[The Grease Devil Facebook page also has links to some newspaper articles.]

http://www.lankaenews.com/English/news.php?id=11516
Lankae News [Sri Lanka]
12 August 2011
Deadly flame of ‘Grease devils’ spreads: curfew in Samanthurai – King Dutugemunu’s sword vs people’s word

http://groundviews.org/2011/08/21/de-greasing-social-speculation-over-%E2%80%9Cgrease-devils%E2%80%9D-in-sri-lanka/

Groundviews [Sri Lanka]
21 August 2011

De-greasing social speculation over “grease devils” in Sri Lanka

Kusal Perera

[...] The controversial “LankaeNews” (LeN) a not so professional web site carrying Sri Lankan news, reported on 12 August, 2011 a long story that gave life to gossip, captioned “Deadly flame of ‘Grease devils’ spreads: curfew in Samanthurai –King Dutugemunu’s sword vs people’s word”.

The report said, the so named elusive stalkers are on the prowl to abduct 14 breast feeding young mothers for a ritual to dig out the sword used by King Dutugemunu. Justification of this fiction comes with the final paragraph that says, “no matter what…” the North Central Province reservoir dams are being dug by a powerful politico in search of King Dutugemunu’s sword and has pushed the archaeology department also into a quandary. Implied sub text of the whole story is that, it is for Mahinda Rajapaksa.

LeN’s “14 mothers” since August 12, have multiplied making rounds in Colombo and suburbs to 500, then to 1,000 and the last heard this morning (19 August) as 50,000 mothers. Most stories don’t talk of abductions now. Most now talk of night stalkers who come wearing well pointed “white iron” finger nails, that make scratching of female breasts easy, to collect blood. Again the blood is said to be for a ritual that would release President Rajapaksa from a very bad astrological influence. [...]

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/21/us-srilanka-devils-idUSTRE77K2BX20110821
Reuters
21 August 2011
Police officer killed in 'grease devil' riot
By Ranga Sirilal and Shihar Aneez

http://www.nation.lk/2011/08/21/newsfe3.htm
The Nation [Sri Lanka]
21 August 2011
Grease devils creating mass hysteria
By S. Selvakumar

http://print.dailymirror.lk/opinion1/53811.html
Daily Mirror [Sri Lanka]
22 August 2011
Grease Yakas spread fear and confusion
By Olindhi Jayasundere and Supun Dias

http://print.dailymirror.lk/opinion1/53953.html

Daily Mirror [Sri Lanka]
23 August 2011

Grease devils: trick to extend emergency

UNP MP Lakshman Kiriella

[...] Villagers in Kandy have seen so-called ‘grease devils’ being dropped off in the area by government vehicles. I was informed that some of those who had made direct complaints to the police were informed by the police officers themselves that they know who is responsible for the ‘grease devil’ phenomenon and assured the people that it will stop shortly. It is clear that this is a move by the government to sidetrack the people from what is real and that which should be urgently addressed. The government has cleverly utilised this to extend the emergency regulations which should be removed with immediate effect.

http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=32998
The Island [Sri Lanka]
22 August 2011
Grease devils?
challenge to post war security measures
By Jehan Perera

http://print.dailymirror.lk/news/news/54222.html

Daily Mirror [Sri Lanka]
25 August 2011

Those disturbing the peace will be punished: Hathurusinghe

By Supun Dias

More troops have been deployed in Jaffna with additional foot and mobile patrols to assist the police in maintaining law and order in the area in the aftermath of Monday’s violence in Navanthurai over rumours that a grease devil was found roaming there. [...]

http://print.dailymirror.lk/news/news/54221.html

Daily Mirror [Sri Lanka]
25 August 2011

Govt. could censor grease devil issue - UNP

By Yohan Perera and Kelum

Bandara

UNP Puttalam District MP Niroshan Perera in Parliament yesterday expressed fears that the government might impose a media censorship on reports about ‘Grease Devils’ in the coming days.

[...] He charged that a person identified as Perumal Sivakumar had been hacked to death by personnel in military uniforms when he had gone to the police station to lodge a complaint regarding a grease devil. He said this incident had taken place in Puttalam on Tuesday (23). [...]

http://print.dailymirror.lk/news/front-page-news/54111.html

Daily Mirror [Sri Lanka]
24 August 2011

Grease Devil phobia: 100 arrested in Jaffna

By Sandun A. Jayasekera, Supun Dias and N. Parameswaran

The ‘Grease Devil’ phobia has reached Jaffna with more than 100 people being arrested by the Police and Army on Monday night following clashes between them and the civilians in Jaffna.

Some 27 civilians were admitted to the Jaffna hospital following clashes, hospital sources said. [...]

http://www.colombopage.com/archive_11A/Aug24_1314195899KA.php
Colombo Page [Sri Lanka]
24 August 2011
Protest in slain Sri Lankan police officer's hometown

http://www.colombopage.com/archive_11A/Aug24_1314192985JR.php
Colombo Page [Sri Lanka]
24 August 2011
Sri Lanka Police assigns CID's Cyber Crimes Division to track down "Grease Yakas" on Facebook

http://groundviews.org/2011/08/24/de-greasing-social-speculation-over-%E2%80%9Cgrease-devils%E2%80%9D-in-sri-lanka-part-ii/
Groundviews [Sri Lanka]
24 August 2011
De-greasing social speculation over “grease devils” in Sri Lanka: Part II
Kusal Perera

http://www.asiantribune.com/news/2011/08/24/grease-yaka-phenomenon-someone-orchestrating-devil-dance
Asian Tribune [Sweden]
24 August 2011
Grease Yaka Phenomenon: Someone is orchestrating this devil dance
By Raj Gonsalkorale

http://print.dailymirror.lk/news/provincial-news/54075.html

Daily Mirror [Sri Lanka]
24 August 2011

Not a grease yaka

By Padma Kumari kankanamge

A young man who exploited the commotion caused by grease yakas in several parts of the country was caught robbing homes of villagers and handed over to Kalpitiya Police last morning, sources said.

Police said during the inquiries they recovered two water pumps and cellular phones from the 21-year-old resident of Ethkala area.

“He was wearing only black underwear, when a group of young men keeping vigilance to the village caught him, police said. [...]

http://print.dailymirror.lk/news/news/54334.html

Daily Mirror [Sri Lanka]
26 August 2011

Religious leaders call for patience

By Lumbini Karandana

[...] Sabaragamuwa University Vice Chancellor Ven. Kamburugamuwe Vajira Thera appealed to the public to act with patience by not letting the so-colled grease devil phobia or its promoters to disturb the prevailing peaceful environment in the country.

“There are numerous International movements, NGOs and political organizations behind the spreading of this myth of grease devils with the intention of creating difficulties for the government,” he told a news brieifng. [...]

http://www.theweekendleader.com/Causes/649/Looking-ahead.html

The Weekend Leader [India]
26 August 2011

Naam Thamilar leader Seeman wants a referendum on Eelam in Sri Lanka

By P C Vinoj Kumar
Chennai

A separate country for Tamils is the only practical solution to the never ending miseries of the Sri Lankan Tamils, said Naam Thamilar leader Seeman in an interview to The Weekend Leader.

[...] “Tamil women continue to be raped and their breasts are being cut off by so-called ‘grease devils’. The government is doing nothing to prevent the attacks on the hapless Tamils,” he said. [...]

http://groundviews.org/2011/08/25/you-can%E2%80%99t-catch-a-bogeyman/

Groundviews [Sri Lanka]
25 August 2011

You Can’t Catch A Bogeyman

T. Aruna

[...] Without obscuring or denying the actual violence of attacks and counter attacks, it seems that the most interesting characteristic of the figure of the ‘Grease Yaka/Mystery Man’ is its ability to embody the fears and preoccupations of diverse communities across the country. Even though there are certain general features (ie. the targetting of women, the cuts/scratches to hands or breasts, and the elusive nature of the perpetrators) that appear in reports from across the country, the ‘Grease Yaka/Mystery Man’ seems to take on localized qualities in each community where it is manifest. [...]

http://www.colombopage.com/archive_11A/Aug26_1314363102KA.php

Colombo Page [Sri Lanka]
26 August 2011

Teen shot dead during Grease Devil hunt in Sri Lanka

Aug 26, Kandy: A 16-year-old boy was killed in a mishap related to another Grease Devil incident in Gurudeniya of Kandy district in the Central Province.

The villagers were on a hunt last night for a suspicious person alleged to be a Grease Devil.

The boy has also joined the search and the death occurred when a drunken person who was among the search party fired his gun recklessly. [...]

Thalathuoya police arrested the person suspected to be the gunman and the investigations are underway.

http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=34352

TamilNet
26 August 2011

HRCSL refuses to register complaints against ‘grease devil’ attacks

[...] Batticaloa Teaching Hospital authorities have been issuing medical reports for women who are alleged to have been attacked by suspected ‘grease devil” stating that they are suffering from depression, snake bite and family dispute.

Persons affected by ‘grease devil ‘scare in villages Ka'luvangkea'ni, Oo'rani and Vaazhaichcheanai are issued with medical reports that they suffer from self-inflicted injuries. Hence the affected persons rush to make complaints to HRCS regional offices in the East.

The Sri Lankan Police is said to have directed hospital authorities not to entertain complaints from women with the history of being attacked by ‘grease devil’. Now the HRCSL also come under the pressure of the SL law enforcement authority not to entertain such complaints, informed sources in the district told TamilNet Friday. [...]

http://www.nation.lk/2011/08/28/news8.htm

The Nation [Sri Lanka]
28 August 2011

‘Grease devil a creation of foreign elements’

By S. Selvakumar

The story of grease devils doing the rounds in many parts of the country is [...] aimed at discrediting the Government and creating tension among the population. It was fabricated by interested foreign powers and certain local groups and planted in this country, said Fr. Sarath Hettiarachi, Presidential Religious Coordinator. [...]

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/110828/News/nws_045.html

Sunday Times [Sri Lanka]
28 August 2011

Puttalam town: Where fear and suspicion still reign

By Saradha Mohan Kumar, Pix by Sanka Vidanagama

It has been two days since the emergency law was lifted, but Puttalam town on Friday looked like a war zone with security forces deployed and army tanks parked around the town. The “grease yaka” appears to have the island in its grip, as more attacks are reported and people struggle to get back to their routine lives.

“The situation is not getting any better, it is only becoming worse,” kurukkal (kovil priest) Venkata Sundarasharma in Puttalam said. “We don’t understand who could be doing this. There was some peace after the end of the war but now the ‘grease yaka’ is destroying it,” he said. [...]

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-south-asia-14673586

BBC News [UK]
28 August 2011

The mystery of Sri Lanka's 'grease devils'

By Charles Haviland
BBC News, Puttalam

A few nights ago Tuan Mohamed Saleh Nona Faris heard a rustling outside her house and saw a shadow move.

"He looked like a gorilla, he was completely covered in black from top to toe. I couldn't see his face or hands," the elderly lady in the west coast fishing district of Puttalam said.

She believes the intruder was one of Sri Lanka's notorious "grease devils". [...]

http://print.dailymirror.lk/news/news/55029.html

Daily Mirror [Sri Lanka]
2 September 2011

Panicked villagers attack bus fearing ‘grease devil’

By Srinath Prasanna Jayasuriya

The Jaffna police headquarters said that they had apprehended six (6) persons on suspicion of attacking a bus filled with pilgrims from the south on Wednesday (31) in Jaffna Town.

While these pilgrims were sleeping at a rest house in Jaffna in the night, a woman residing nearby had screamed that there was a grease devil among the pilgrims. This alerted the entire neighborhood, who surrounded the bus carrying poles and iron rods and began attacking the bus. The bus was severely damaged in the attack. However everyone including the driver and conductor had been able to escape unhurt. [...]

http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=34376~

TamilNet
2 September 2011

SL Army uses public buildings to ‘transform’ into ‘grease devils’

The genocidal military of Sri Lanka occupying Jaffna uses some particular public buildings to ‘transform’ themselves into ‘grease devils’ in the nights, eyewitnesses told TamilNet. Scores of SL military men in uniform, who come to these buildings in the nights change into a different costume, apply grease on their face and disperse in different directions to terrorise residents of the locality. They also wear gloves and carry a small kris-knife with them. When one group disperses like this, another group with military vehicles wait in the building to provide ‘security’ for the ‘grease devils’ if any need arises. [...]

http://www.sundaytimes.lk/110904/News/nws_09.html

The Sunday Times [Sri Lanka]
4 September 2011

Women activists to petition SC that State has failed in its duty
Combating the grease yaka controversy

By Kumudini Hettiarachchi

In a new twist to the “grease yaka” phenomenon, women activists are planning to petition the Supreme Court this week on the grounds that the State is failing in its duty to protect women from these perpetrators. [...]

http://www.srilankaguardian.org/2011/09/grease-yakka-phenomenon.html

Sri Lanka Guardian 5 September 2011

'Grease Yakka’ phenomenon

by Sumanasiri Liyanage

[...] Who is this grease devil? Although some cartoonists portrayed it as politicians or their relatives or goons who could easily escape from anything, there has been no serious attempt to investigate this imaginary character. Is this purely an imaginary construction that was empty, null and arbitrarily ‘stuck together’? Does this imaginary construction correspond to reality or is it just an illusion? One thing is clear; it signifies the presence of internally generated fear, anxiety, threat and uncertainty. [...]

http://print.dailymirror.lk/news/news/55230.html

The Daily Mirror [Sri Lanka]
5 September 2011

Protest in Jaffna against police inaction in ‘grease yaka’ saga

By Kelum Bandara

Tamil politicians and civil society leaders in the north decided yesterday to stage a one-day protest in Jaffna on September 10, as a mark of protest against the failure of the government to curb the ‘Grease Yaka’ menace in the area, former MP M.K. Sivajilingam said yesterday. [...]

http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=34393

TamilNet
8 September 2011

Sri Lanka Grease Devils scapegoat mental patients

Sri Lanka’s occupying military in Jaffna that has now become Sri Lanka Grease Devils commits a despicably inhuman crime by forcibly bringing in mental patients warded in Thellippazhai mental hospital to take part in its ‘grease devil’ attacks, residents in Vasaavi’laan said. [...]

http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=13&artid=34409

TamilNet
11 September 2011

‘Grease devil’ episode develops into standoff at Tholpuram in Jaffna

An standoff that erupted between the residents of Paa'naaveddi village and the occupying Sri Lanka Army soldiers of 51-3 brigade Saturday night was contained in the last minute from deteriorating into a blood bath by the intervention of community leaders and politicians, after the residents caught two armed SLA soldiers. While the residents of the village situated in Tholpuram in Valikaamam West were chasing two alleged ‘grease devils’, two armed SLA soldiers emerged from the place where the ‘grease devils’ vanished. The two SLA soldiers were captured by the villagers and kept inside a house bound to ropes. [...]

http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=46137

The Island [Sri Lanka]
25 February 2012

Grease yakas a big hoax conclude forensic experts
Injuries self-inflicted or caused by `friendly hands’

The "Grease Yaka" phenomenon which created quite a furore last year was a vast hoax according to a scientific paper presented yesterday at the Academic Sessions of the College of Forensic Pathologists of Sri Lanka held at the Auditorium of the Sri Lanka Medical Association.

Doctors Tikiri Gunathilake and Vidanapathirana said in a paper that the "victims" examined bore injuries "not compatible with their stories" with such injuries being either self-inflicted or caused by a "friendly hand."

The two doctors had examined six so called victims of the grease devils. [...]