Refugees denied dry rations

[TamilNet, Friday, 03 April 1998, 23:59 GMT]
More than 1000 civilians who were forcibly evicted by the Sri Lankan Army from the villages of Iththikkulam, Sinnakkulam and Maravattaikkulam south of Trincomalee last month are yet to be issued dry rations by the government authorities, said sources in Muthur.

The people, who fled only with their basic belongings, are housed as refugees in Pallikkudiyiruppu and Seenivaasapuram, and are unable to have regular meals now as a result, said sources.

Government officials say that dry rations cannot be issued to these refugees as the villages where they have sought shelter are not under the control of the SLA ('uncleared areas').

The EPDP MP Mr. M. Chandrakumar visited the refugees this week to find about their problems. He said that this was an attempt to settle Sinhalese in these traditional Tamil villages.

The Sri Lankan army, however, says that the civilians had to be evicted because the Liberation Tigers are using the area to launch attacks on them.

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