Colombo aims to carve out Sinhala district between North and East - Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 05 September 2007, 19:46 GMT]
The Government of Sri Lanka is giving in for the demands of the extreme nationalist Jathika Hela Urumaya (JHU), with its plans afoot to carve out a Sinhala district between Trincomalee district in the Eastern Province and Mullaiththeevu in the Northern Province, aiming to split the geographical contiguity of the Tamil homeland, charged R. Sampanthan, the senior Tamil parliamentarian and the parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), addressing the Sri Lankan parliament Wednesday. The attempt to create a Sinhala district would spoil the chances for a negotiated settlement, Mr. Sampanthan further warned.

Colombo has already colonized the traditional Tamil areas Ma'nalaa'ru (named Weli Oya in Sinhala), Pathavikku'lam (named Padaviya in Sinhala), Thiriyaay, and Pulmoaddai between the Mullaiththeevu district and the Trincomalee district. The areas Kokki'laay, Thennamaravaadi and Tha'n'nimu'rippu (named Janakapura in Sinhala) are militarized zones.

Sri Lanka Government (GoSL) has taken steps to create a new Sinhala district consisting of the above areas, which join the Tamil districts of Trincomalee and Mullaitheevu, with the aim to partition the Northern and Eastern provinces, in order to fulfill its pledge given to Jathika Sinhala Urumaya (JHU) party during the last Presidential elections, Mr. Sampanthan said, speaking in the House during the debate on the current political and military situation in the Northeast.

Sampanthan speaking in the House further said that the GoSL has taken steps to colonize Champoor and Moothoor with Sinhalese people in its attempts to create new Sinhala regions and new Sinhala administrations in the Eastern province.

The Land Commissioner in Trincomalee Secretariat, Muraleetharan has been replaced with a Sinhalese officer because Muraleetharan requested time to carry out the government directive to transfer state land in Trincomalee district to Board of Investment, Sampanthan told the House.

Speaking on the escalating Human Rights situation, the TNA parliamentary group leader said that the GoSL should allow the United Nations Human Rights Commission's monitoring mission to function in Sri Lanka.

More than 60 civilians including five families have sought protection with the Human Rights Commission Jaffna in the last two months due to right violations against Tamils, the TNA leader further noted.

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