Resettlement to begin in Omanthai-Thandikulam HSZ

[TamilNet, Saturday, 08 March 2003, 16:44 GMT]
In a meeting at the Government Secretariat presided by the Vavuniya Government Agent (GA), K. Ganesh, it was decided to resettle former residents of selected areas within the High Security Zone (HSZ) between Thandikulam and Omanthai centered around the A9 highway in Vavuniya district, starting from coming Monday, sources in Vavuniya said.

Major General Susil Chandrapala, Sri Lanka Army (SLA) commander of Vanni region, Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) Vavuniya district Head of the political section, S. Elilan, Regional secretaries, Commanders of different districts participated in the meeting.

GA Ganesh informed that former residents are to be settled in 38 villages. The officers in charge of the project will confirm if the villages are cleared of mines and are safe for resettlement. SLA has agreed to allow HSZ residents identified for resettlement to travel through the Thandikulam SLA checkpoint, army sources said.

Non-governmental organizations working on mine clearing operations in army controlled regions confirmed that villages of Thandikulam, Neiveli, Pannikar Puliyankulam and Chithambaram have been cleared of mines and are fit for resettlement.

Meanwhile, the Vavuniya District Committee responsible for urgent humanitarian and rehabilitation needs met in the Government secretariat to determine the urgent material needs for resettlement. GA Mr. Ganesh, Vavuniya South District Secretary, M,. Tillekaratne, LTTE’s S. Elilan, LTTE’s member of the women’s wing, Alai, member oof LTTE’s administrative division, Swarnan participated in this meeting, sources said.

Decision was taken in this meeting to urgently undetake rehabilitation efforts in the spheres of health, water supply, transportation infrastructure and education in the areas earmarked for resettlement. A report containing the above matters is to be sent to the Kilinochchi branch of the Sub-committee on Immediate Humanitarian Rehabilitation Needs (SIHRN), sources who attended the meeting said.