søndag 13. september 2009

SEE THE REAL PLIGHT OF TAMIL IDPs UNDER THE INHUMAN SINHALA REGIME..!!!

Sampur IDPs 'still in camps'

The government captured all areas held by the LTTE in the east in July 2007
Over 6000 internally displaced people (IDPs) from the east are still in camps, a latest study reveals.
Centre for Policy Alternatives (CPA) which carried out the study says these families are still living in transit camps in Batticaloa and Trincomalee districts.

The government announced capturing all areas held by the LTTE in the east in July 2007.

Meanwhile, a site in Sampur, Muttur east, is selected by the government for a coal power plant.

It has led to authorities establishing a high security zone (HSZ) in their ancestral lands, IDPs representatives say.

The Welfare Association for IDPs from Muttur East (WAIM) has expressed shock over government decision to establish the HSZ to protest a thermo power station to be built by India.

Paddy fields

WAIM president, K Nageswaran, told BBC Sinhala service, Sandeshaya that over 1600 families were displaced from Sampur during the conflict.

“These people were cultivating over 3500 acres of paddy filed and there are over 600 acres of residential land in this area,” he said.


These people have lived here for over 2000 years. We have also raised this issue with the Indian government


TNA parliamentarian

Although the thermo power plant only requires 500 acres of land, Mr. Nageswaran said, a high security zone (HSZ) is established covering 9000 acres.

“We urge the authorities to give our land back at least in areas other than where designated for the power plant,” he said.

A parliamentarian representing the area said that nearly 7000 people have lost their ancestral lands as a result of government establishing the HSZ.

“These people have lived here for over 2000 years. We have also raised this issue with the Indian government,” K Thurairetnasingam, MP, told BBC Sandeshaya.

Minister for Power and Energy, John Senerviratne, admitted that some of their land will be given to the coal power plant.

Although not every IDP will be resettled in their original lands, he said, many remaining IDPs will soon be resettled.

However, the CPA points out that the government action amounts to relocating the IDPs according to UN definitions.

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'Released' IDPs still in camps


The IDPs are among those released from Vavuniya on Friday
Displaced Tamil people released from the camps in Vavuniya are still in camps, local political leaders say.
R Thurairatnam, a member of the eastern provincial council, told BBC Sandeshaya that 123 families released from Vavuniya camps are still kept in camps in Batticaloa.

360 people are currently kept in two schools, Sinhala Maha Vidyalaya and Kurukkalmadam Vidyalaya, in Batticaloa in early morning on Saturday.

Correspondents say the internally displaced people (IDPs) earlier released from Vavuniya camps were allowed to go home or visit their relatives.

'Over 9000 released'

Nearly 300,000 IDPs are held in government run camps in Vavuniya. The government has recently released some of them, elderly and children are mainly among them.

On Friday, nearly 2,000 or so people were allowed to leave the Menik Farm camp.


Among those released were 6838 to Jaffna, 2170 to Trincomalee, 683 to Batticaloa and 274 to Ampara


Ministry of Defence

The government said 9900 IDPs were released.

“Among those released were 6838 to Jaffna, 2170 to Trincomalee, 683 to Batticaloa and 274 to Ampara,” a statement by the Defence Ministry website said.

Mr. Thurairatnam, a member of the EPRLF, was told by officials providing security at the Batticaloa camps that the IDPs will be released within next few days after registration process is over.

However, no reason was given for their continued detention, he said.

BBC Sandeshaya could not contact Resettlement Minister Risath Badiuddeen, despite repeated attempts.


Sandeshaya
BBC News

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