Jaffna SLA dishonors Court recommendation on moving HSZ boundaries

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 17 February 2009, 02:51 GMT]
The committee appointed by Supreme Court to consider the Courts' recommendation to expedite resettlement of displaced residents from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) High Security Zone (HSZ) in Thellippazhai met Saturday in Palaali SLA head quarters headed by President, Jaffna High Court magistrate, R. T. Vicknarajah, to discuss the issue, sources in Jaffna said. SLA in Jaffna, however, has rejected the recommendations to reconfigure Thellippazhaii HSZ boundary to enable resettlement of displaced residents, the sources added.

The recommendation to shift the HSZ boundary was made to allow students of Union College, Mahajana College and public to the government hospital and the cancer hospital inside Thellippazhai HSZ to have free access to their institutions.

Former Jaffna SLA commander Major Gen. Chandrasiri had earlier indicated that HSZ boundary will be soon shifted to locations behind the above institutions so that the public can enter them without restrictions.

The principals of Union College and Mahajana College, Director of Health Services, Thellippazhai Government Hospital doctors and medical officers of the cancer hospital took part in the meeting Saturday.

The SLA, however, has allowed the doctors of the hospital to stay during nights at the hospital and the students to ride on vehicles up to the FDL position of the HSZ.

The residents who were displaced by the SLA from their houses and lands in Thellippazhai are disappointed and said that they had been given false hopes of resettlement by the government as well as the SLA, representatives of the organizations caring for the welfare of the displaced said.