Kalmunai refugees call off protest
[TamilNet, Wednesday, 01 March 2006, 07:48 GMT]
The sit-in-protest of tsunami-affected families in front of the office of the Kalmunai Divisional Secretariat (Muslim) division, which began on 22 February, came to an end after Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse Wednesday morning assured the refugees through a specially set up satellite link that they would be provided with permanant houses within 3 months.
Mahinda Rajapakse told the refugees that he has already taken action to acquire land for this purpose. He further instructed Mr.A.H.M.Ansar, Kalmunai Divisional Secretary to take immediate steps for the acquirement of land for the construction of permanent houses, government officials in Kalmunai said. A committee of three members headed by Mr.Arif Samsudeen, Attorney-at-Law and two other persons appointed by the President would be in charge in implementing the President's assurance, they said. Affected families thanked the President for the immediate steps by him, sources said. Satellite-link connection with a large screen was installed in the tent where the affected families held the sit-in-protest staying day and night and cooking their meals. Similar screen facility was also made available in the President's secretariat where President Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse saw the protesting families men, women and children huddled for the last seven days inside the tent in front of the Kalmunai DS office, the sources said.
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