PTF continues to control NGOs assisting resettling people in Tamil homeland

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 April 2015, 21:57 GMT]
Non Government Organisations trying to assist the people who wish to resettle in the pockets of lands released so far in Valikaamam North are instructed to seek permission from the so-called Presidential Task Force (PTF), which is dominated by military commanders and secretaries of various ministries in Colombo. Local NGOs that attempted to put up temporary huts in Valikaamam North have been instructed by the SL Government Agent to approach PTF clearance, says Shageevan Shanmugalingam, an elected civic representative who also leads a welfare organisation for the resettling people in Valikaamam North.

The PTF, led by Basil Rajapaksa and controlled by Gotabhaya Rajapaksa, the siblings of former SL president, was launched by the previous regime with the motive of controlling and filtering NGOs in the resettlement of Eezham Tamils and to facilitate the occupying SL military to proceed with the structural genocide against Eezham Tamils.

The uprooted people trying to access their lands in Valikaamam North have to take at least two buses from their refugee camps and then walk two to three kilometres inside the occupied military zone to reach the pockets of lands that have been released so far.

The resettling people complain that they are unable to engage in clearing their lands and in constructing their houses without temporary shelters situated close to the pockets of lands released so far.

There is already a Government Agent for all the districts and a Governor appointed at provincial level, all appointed by the SL President on behalf of the Sri Lankan Government. Why are Tamils still being filtered and controlled by one more entity, the PTF, the vice-chairman of Valikaamam North Divisional Council asked TamilNet.