SLA rejects rent request for HSZ properties
[TamilNet, Saturday, 11 March 2006, 03:07 GMT]
A meeting held Friday between the representatives of Consortium of Jaffna Welfare Associations and the Sri Lanka Military officials at 51-2 Brigade Headquarters in Jaffna to explore ways to simplify procedures allowing civilian owners of SLA occupied private buildings and houses to collect rents, ended without any agreements, sources attending the meeting said. The meeting was arranged by the Jaffna Human Rights Commission officials, sources added.
Jaffna HRC co-ordinating officer, Rohitha Priyadharsana, President of Consortium of Welfare Associations, S Paramanathan, Human Rights Attorney, Remedius, President of the Comittee for Peace and Justice, Rev. Fr. A.J. Bernard, and President of Jaffna Fisheries Consortium, S Thavaratnam participated to raise the issues confronting civilian residents affected by the SLA occupation of private buildings.
When the civil society delegation pointed out the difficulties in obtaining the legal documents required by the SLA to pay rentals to the occupied properties, the Sri Lanka Military officers replied they will discuss the matter with Jaffna Government Agent and provide a response within two weeks.
However, the SLA officiers rejected the request by the civil society on the issue of rent payments for property located within the High Security Zones (HSZ), sources said.
Further, the Jaffna Fisheries Consortium had requested the Sri Lanka Military officials to vacate nearly 108 private residences of fisher families in Columbuthurai Jaffna. The families need a homes close to the shore to carryout their trade, the Consortium official said. The SLA officials rejected the request, but agreed to discuss the matter again in the next meeting.
The fisheries officials raised the issue of a new Ice Factory building on the 7th Cross Street Jaffna. Although UNDP has allocated funds for two such factories, SLA has stopped the construction, and the fisheries consortium may lose the funding, the fisheries offiicals pointed out. The SLA officers refused to rescind the order, but again agreed to discuss the matter later.