Sinhala settlement plan derailed

[TamilNet, Saturday, 18 March 2000, 20:23 GMT]
A plan to settle Sinhala villagers in Kavatikuda, a Tamil village in Trincomalee, by a local ruling party organizer, has been stopped by the intervention of the Divisional Secretary of Trincomalee, said sources.

A government official had noted the settlers demolishing structures left behind by the displaced Tamil families and starting work on the foundations, and had immediately brought the matter to the attention of the Divisional Secretary, Mr. V. Velummylum.

The Secretary ordered to stop all construction.

A ruling party organizer had made arrangements to settle about 50 Sinhalese families in Kavatikuda, dividing the land area among them, sources said.

The organizer had also obtained assistance towards construction from the National Housing Development Authority, sources added.



The village Kavatikuda is situated 05 miles off west of Trincomalee on Chinabay-Kinniya road. Kavatikuda is predominantly a Tamil village where 50 Tamil fishing and farming families lived in 1985.

The entire village was displaced in 1985 during ethnic violence. In 1989 about 39 families were resettled who were again displaced a year later.

At present displaced Tamil families from Kavatikuda are living scattered in several parts of the Trincomalee district on relief given by the State.