TNA urges resettlement of Musali displaced

[TamilNet, Friday, 21 September 2007, 11:13 GMT]
Mr.Selvam Adaikalanathan, TNA Wanni district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, in an urgent letter, has appealed to Sri Lanka's President Mahinda Rajapakse to take steps to resettle all families displaced from Musali divisional secretariat division in Mannaar district before the northeast monsoon, TNA sources said.

Families in these villages vacated their houses and sought refuge elsewhere Sri Lanka Army ordered them to leave during the recent offensive in the north western coast. The villagers obeyed the order thinking that they would be allowed to resettle after the offensives were over. The SLA captured these villages without any loss and opposition, but has not yet allowed the displaced villagers back, Mr.Adaikalanathan said in his letter.

"The families are now sheltered in temporary welfare centres without any basic facilities. These families expect the authorities to take urgent steps to resettle them in their villages before the outbreak of northeast monsoon rains. They fear that they would have undergo difficulties when the monsoon rains start.

"The displaced families are farmers and fishermen. Till the evacuation they enjoyed their independent lives, and economically self sufficient. Now they depend on relief supplies; the education of displaced students has been badly affected," said Mr.Adaikalanathan in his letter.