Musali displaced harassed by SLA, 70 families flee to Tamil Nadu

[TamilNet, Sunday, 11 May 2008, 10:40 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Mannaar has ordered the displaced Tamil civilians from Musali division in September 2007, to present themselves at the 21-5 SLA Brigade High Quarters at Ilanthaimoaddai, on a village-by-village basis on allocated days, to obtain details of every individual and interrogate them for alleged participation in training given to civilians by the Tigers when their native division was under the control of the Liberation Tigers prior to September 2007. Around 70 families of between 450 to 600 families, all of them displaced from Musali division and living Naanaaddaan, have crossed the Palk Strait to Tamil Nadu during the recent days, according to residents in Naanaaddaan.

The systematic harassment by the SLA was continuing despite religious leaders urging the military commanders not to punish civilians for conditions they had to face under different circumstances in the past, say residents in Naanaaddaan division.

Several individuals who had to present themselves for inquiries have complained that they were beaten by the interrogators.

Displaced families from Arippu and Chilaavattu'rai and Musali are living in Achchangkul'am, Kovvangku'lam and Naanaaddaan, families from Mu'l'likku'lam are residing in Vaazhkkaippaddaanka'ndal, families from Chinnappu'l'lachchi Potkea'ni in Murungkan, families from Kokkuppadaiyaan in Pontheevuka'ndal.

The residents of Chilaavaththu'rai, Arippu, Kokkuppadaiyaan, Mu'l'likku'lam, Ko'ndachchi, Koozhaangkullam, Musali, Pandaarave'li, Puthuve'li, Ma'natku'lam, Poonochchikku'lam, and Akaththimu'rippu in Musali division are cultivators and fishermen, once contributed considerably to the economy of Mannaar, but reduced to subsistence living due to war and displacement.

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