SLA blocks IDPs permanent resettlement citing Moothoor HSZ security

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 11 August 2009, 16:23 GMT]
A group of 63 Tamil families consisting of 244 members, internally displaced from their traditional villages in Moothoor east in Trincomalee district and sheltered in temporary camps located in Paalameenmeadu in Batticaloa for the last three years, were transported Tuesday in eleven buses via Verugal River to temporary shelters in Ki'liveddi welfare centre. They will remain here until an alternative site is found for them to be resettled permanently as their own traditional Tamil villages have been brought under high security zone (HSZ) following the military operation by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA).

2565 members of 745 Tamil families fled to Batticaloa district when the Sri Lanka Army moved into their villages, now being declared HSZ in Moothoor east following aerial and sea attack.

Since then they had been sheltered in eleven welfare centres in Batticaloa district.

Already four groups of IDPs transported to Moothoor and had been given shelter in welfare centres located in Ki'liveddi, Paddiththidal and Thillaangkea'ni in Moothoor division.

One of the IDP returnee from Batticaloa to Moothoor said Tuesday that “we have moved from one refugee camp to another. Our future is still uncertain. We do not know when we will get permanent place to live."

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