Usan IDPs complain harassment by SLA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 27 July 2004, 14:38 GMT]
Several displaced persons from Usan village in Thenmaradchchi division in Jaffna district Tuesday complained to civil authorities that soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army are threatening them for organizing a picketing campaign demanding the return of their houses and other properties now under their occupation, civil group sources said.

Usan IDPs Monday handed over a memorandum to the Thenmaradchchi Divisional Secretary that they would be forced to organize a picketing campaign in front of his office bringing the civil administration to a halt from August 5 if the SLA failed to return their houses and a school ground now under its occupation.

SLA soldiers Tuesday visited some of the IDPs now residing temporarily in Manthuvil village and told them not to participate in the proposed picketing campaign. Soldiers are said to have threatened IDPs that they would face serious consequence if they participated in the campaign, civil group sources said.

The SLA occupies about 19 houses, office building of the rural development society and the playground of Usan Ramanathan Maha Vidiyalayam since 1996, civil sources said.