A third of land area in Jaffna peninsula converted in HSZs in the last 30 years! 30,338 families evicted! 47 schools/246 places of worship closed!

ExpressbuzzTuesday, January 05, 2010 4:07 AM

P K Balachandran | 04 Jan 2010 12:46:44 AM

COLOMBO: The opposition Presidential candidate, Gen.Sarath Fonseka, has told the Tamils of Jaffna that he will give back lands and buildings which the army had taken from them, when the areas in which they were located were designated as High Security Zones (HSZ).


He was speaking at a public meeting in Jaffna on Saturday.

According to the Weekly Virakesari a third of the land area in the Jaffna peninsula had been converted in HSZs in the last thirty years. But the Tamilnet website puts it at 26 percent. The one and only airport in the peninsula is also in the Palaly HSZ.

About 30, 338 families had been evicted as a result of these areas being designated as HSZ. Among the affected are 16,027 farming families and also 4,436 fisher families living on 81 kilometers of coastline.

As a result of the designation, 47 schools and 246 places of worship had to be closed.

According to R.Sampanthan, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) MP for Trincomalee district in the eastern province, 4249 Tamil families with 15,648 members were displaced when the Sampur area was declared an HSZ in 2007.

Nineteen schools with approximately 6000 students had to be closed. Eighteen temples and a Methodist Church were also shut. Sampur is known to be a major agricultural and fishing area, but it has become desolate now.

Fonseka had a different take on the HSZ when he was Security Forces commander in Jaffna during the 2002-2004 peace process. At that time, when he was asked by journalists if he would dismantle the HSZ to allow the original inhabitants to get back, he said that such a step would only result in the area being taken over by the LTTE.

“The LTTE is planning to settle 4,000 Maaveerar families there, and not the original civilians,” he said.

The Maaveerar families are families of the LTTE’s dead cadre.

However, now that he wants the Tamils’ vote, Fonseka, the politician, has promised to dismantle the HSZs.

He further told the Jaffna audience that he would also make Palaly airport an international airport.

The retired Army Commander said that he would lift curfews and Emergency Regulations and give amnesty to LTTE cadre except those who had cases against them. In the latter case too, he would see that the legal procedures were speeded up.

Fonseka promised to lift the satandard of the hospitals and educational institution in Jaffna to the level of those in the capital city of Colombo.
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Comments
Rajapakse is working mainly for the ambitions of his family. The rule of law in the country has completely collapsed, the police, armed forces, gangs of thugs and state media are manipulated for political gains. While uttering falsehoods about imperialist conspiracies to mislead people, the President has joined hands with anti-democratic rulers despised by the civilized world. This phenomenon will have dire effects on the future, the economy and the peaceful environment of the country. Over 500 journalists live in self-exile for protecting their lives from torture and assassination. Therefore, all citizens of Sri Lanka need to come forward to defeat the present anti-people, family rule and to build people’s power.
By Asoka Weerasinghe

1/5/2010 2:34:00 AM Keeri, Dr. Bahu cannot win. Get the rowdy rajapakse out from power. Then, May triple gem bless Lanka.
By Asoka Weerasinghe

1/5/2010 1:31:00 AM Thanks Anwar, the Rajapaksha family as a whole is disgrace to Humanity.
By Miriam

1/5/2010 1:28:00 AM Chinease Face Gotabaya should not leave the country. May be to China, Burma. That's it.
By Anwar Ali

1/5/2010 12:29:00 AM ஒரு எதிரியை ஒழிக்க . இன்னொரு எதிரியோடு கூட்டுச் சேரவேண்டும். எமது மக்கள் கொஞ்சமேனும் மூச்சுவிட வேண்டும் சிங்கள ஆட்சியாளர்களுக்குப் பல்லக்குத் தூக்கிக் கைகட்டி வாய்பொத்தி சேவகம் செய்து வாழும் ஒட்டுக்குழுக்கள் அரசியலில் இருந்து ஓரங்கட்டப்பட வேண்டும். கொடுங்கோலன் ராஜபக்சவின் ஆட்சிக்கு முற்றுப்புள்ளி வையுங்கள்.
By ராஜபக்ச

1/5/2010 12:26:00 AM 1/ General offers amnesty for LTTE [ BBC Sinhala Service ][ Jan 04 16:55 GMT ] The former military commander of Sri Lanka standing for presidency has pledged the main Tamil party to grant a general amnesty for all former militants. Gen Sarath Fonseka has submitted a proposal named “Immediate Relief Measures for war affected persons,” to the leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). Gen Fonseka has held talks with Mr. Sampanthan on Monday. The document handed over to the TNA leader said all persons in detention, including former LTTE members, will either be charged or released within one month under Fonseka presidency. Over 10,000 former Tamil Tiger cadres are currently detained in different detention centres. The proposal released to the media by Gen Fonseka's spokesperson Mangala Samaraweera, MP, also said High Security Zones (HSZs) will be dismantled "in keeping with relocation of the security forces".
By Jada Balla

1/4/2010 10:53:00 PM Leela, "Democracy under Rajapakse" is an Oxymoron!
By Jada Balla

1/4/2010 8:49:00 PM Tamils are being taken for a ride by Mr.Fonseka. It is just an ego trip. He will never be the President. Even if he be the President, he is powerless without Parliament majority. Fonseka as President can do nothing for he has no party or a single seat in Parliament. He has to rely on RanilW to deliver what he promises. But RanilW has his own thinking. RanilW thinks Fonee will be a puppet and he will be the puppeteer. How stupid RanilW is; when he could not control that taxi driver mayor how could he control a hardnosed General as President. If you Tamils have an iota of a brain you must think: If you want a military dictatorship, vote for General Fonseka. If you want democracy, vote for president Rajapakse. Presidential logic is as simple as that.
By Leela

1/4/2010 6:12:00 PM The only change in the air is a great doublecross.....change from kissing western arse to kissing Chinese arse. Bootlicks Got-A- Hutha ,Basil Rajapaksa, and Palitha Kohana must be thinking fast to save their nesteggs in their new homelands...wonder what deal that Fonseka made with the Americans......Sellouts every one of them. They live high while we third worlders suffer
By Jada Balla

1/4/2010 6:08:00 PM A story comes to mind, which goes something like this ; A south asian farmer was loosing his crop being eaten by a deer and he tried his best on several occasions to catch it but failed miserably each time. So realy hurting with the failure and the loss of his crop he came home and noticed the deer skin he had laid on the arm chair. Hurting badly the farmer picked up the deer skin laid it on the ground and started to beat it his hearts content. So if it makes you happy call them all the names under the sun but that is not going to change anything. Neither Praba , his family nor his henchmen will come back. Tamils will not get Eelam, Who ever wins Sri Lankans will dance on the streets and celebrate. Refugee Tamils, asylum Tamils, Eelam Tamils, Ezaham Tamils, Pongu Tamils, Canadian Tamils, Norway Tamils, Uk Tamils, French Tamils Auz Tamils, boat Tamils will still will repent in despair not having got anything to show for their money or efforts.
By velu

1/4/2010 5:53:00 PM Under Hitler's guidance in Colombo, Sri Lanka - A special Advisory Council for Astrologers is to be established in the lead up to presidential elections to ensure “consistency” in astrological forecasts, claims a source from the Ministry of Indigenous Sciences speaking exclusively to Banyan News Reporters. The Ministry is expected to put forward a cabinet paper in the first week of January proposing the Advisory Council, which will play a supervisory role over all astrologers registered with the Ministry.
By Jada Balla

1/4/2010 5:15:00 PM SO! Does Got-A-Hutha have plans for Fonseka to have a party with Lasantha???? Security measures to Sarath Fonseka in Jaffna withdrawn Jan 4 (TN) Government withdrew Sunday the customary security arrangements to Sarath Fonseka, the common opposition presidential candidate and the opposition political leaders who are presently in Jaffna to campaign for Sarath Fonseka, sources in Jaffna said. Jaffna Sri Lanka Army Commander who was expected to receive Sarath Fonseka who had been the Chief of Sri Lanka Armed Forces did not turn up at Palaali airport while more..
By Jada Balla

1/4/2010 5:04:00 PM Jada Balla , I had to repost your observation. We Chinhalse are cooperating with a foreign power - China to gain something for the motherland...Got-A- Hutha and Basil RajapaksaN, and Palitha sold out to feather their own nest/By the way I like your innovative addition of an 'N" to the Rajapakse name.:)
By Chinhalaya

1/4/2010 4:27:00 PM "FORMER ARMY CHIEF now Mr.FONSEKA will sell his FAMILY,COUNTRY " Speaking of Sellouts.....Got-A- Hutha and Basil RajapaksaN, and Palitha .....three more Chinhalese who sold their Heritage....Jayawaewa!
By Chinhalaya

1/4/2010 4:17:00 PM "FORMER ARMY CHIEF now Mr.FONSEKA will sell his FAMILY,COUNTRY " Speaking of Sellouts.....Got-A Hutha and Basil RajapaksaN, and Palitha .....three more Chinhalese who sold their Heritage....Jayawaewa!
By Jada Balla

1/4/2010 4:15:00 PM Mahinda Rajapaksa and Sarath Fonseka are rabid Buddhist Singhalese Nationalists who happen to be citizens of Sri Lanka. Dr Vickrema Bahu is the true Sri Lankan. He cares for the down trodden Sri Lankans. He is the Nelson Mandela of Sri Lanka. Sri Lankan constitution stipulates Buddhist Sinhalese President. So the Tamil and Muslim candidates cannot become the President. Allowing them to contest is a sick joke!! For Sri Lankan Presidency, Tamils must vote for the only Sri Lankan candidate – Dr. Vickrema Bahu.
By Keeri

1/4/2010 12:53:00 PM Nothing wrong with his comment to give the lands back to owners neither contradicts what he said before. The LTTE has no power bring Maaveerar families so land should and will go to owners. People can't live all the time in war Zoon. The war is over Thanks to Mahinda Gotabaya and Sarath. We should forward. Every single person has rights to get their property back and move on.
By Raj

1/4/2010 10:02:00 AM Fonseka will promise anything for few votes as he is not the popular candidate. If he gets in he will chase the UNP and other democratic parties away get his sodiers to back him and run a military govt. Thats when they will learn their lesson.
By Sri Lankan

1/4/2010 5:56:00 AM FORMER ARMY CHIEF now Mr.FONSEKA will sell his FAMILY,COUNTRY HIS MEDALS to become the PRESIDENT of SRI LANKA. He should FIGHT as A SOLDIER to be the PRESIDENT of SRI LANKA but not as a CHICKEN.
By elburro-donky

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