Second ship fails to show

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 April 1998, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Government reneged on its commitment to dispatch two vessels to carry refugees and other passengers from Trincomalee back to the Jaffna peninsula, said sources in Vavuniya today. Despite assurances, only one vessel, 'Sajitha' was expected to put into Trincomalee harbour before carrying 500 passengers from the Trincomalee District back to Jaffna.

On Monday, Trincomalee District Secretary V Velummaylum told those staging a token fast in from of his office that the Relief and Rehabilitation Authority of the North (RRAN) would send around 1500 passengers to Jaffna today. The fast was suspended on account of those assurances.

Among the persons who wanted to avail themselves of the opportunity of going to Jaffna were also students and officials serving the Sri Lankan Government in the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled areas of the Wanni, who were on routine transfer to Jaffna.

One hundred of these persons set off to Trincomalee yesterday to join the ship. Another 772 refugees from camps in Vavuniya District also journeyed to Trincomalee for the same reason. The fate of the remaining people wanting to go to Jaffna is yet unclear.

Unconfirmed sources said that the second vessel had not been sent due to undefined "administrative" problems.