Tsunami affected families demand relief, protest continues

[TamilNet, Thursday, 23 February 2006, 11:01 GMT]
The office of the Kalmunai Divisional Secretariat (Muslim division) is under siege for the second day, Thursday as several hundred tsunami affected families continued their sit-in-protest demanding that they should be provided with permanent houses and compensation, sources in Kalmunai said.

Protest continued throughout night since Wednesday morning.

They cooked their food in front of the DS office Wednesday and Thursday. The Kalmunai DS office did not function for the second day as protestors were blocking the main entrance of the office, sources in Kalmunai said.

Traders in Kalmunai town closed their shops in support of the protestors. The modern market was also closed down. State and private sector bus services did not operate from Kalmunai to outstations, the sources said.

Except Mr.H.M.Harees, former parliamentarian of the Amparai district, no other politicians visited the protesting families, sources said.

Protestors said they would abandon their protest if the Government Agent of Amparai district personally visits them and gives assurance that their demands would be met within a reasonable time.