Defence Ministry objects to resettlement in Wards 3, 5 in Allaippiddi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 10 June 2010, 18:06 GMT]
The civilians of Wards 3 and 5 in Allaippiddi in the islets of Jaffna who were uprooted in August 2006 when clashes erupted between Liberation Tigers and Sri Lanka Army (SLA) had sought refuge in Jaffna town. Thursday, for the second time, they were permitted to see their houses and properties occupied by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) claiming the area as High Security Zone (HSZ) and the SLN officials there had informed them that resettlement in the said HSZ is not immediately possible, sources in Jaffna said. The officials had told them that Sri Lanka Ministry of Defence objects to resettlement in their lands.

Earlier, when some of the uprooted Allaippiddi civilians were allowed to resettle, the residents of wards 3 and 5 were not permitted to resettle in their lands as it was claimed to be infested with land mines. They had to live in temporary huts they put up in private lands.

Now, the owners of the private lands are forcing the people of wards 3 and 5 to leave their properties.

Though the de-mining of wards 3 and 5 has been completed the Defence Ministry is not allowing the rightful owners of the properties occupied by SLN to resettle, causing great distress to the people evicted, the sources added.