1,27,905 IDPs still held in Vavuniyaa camps

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 08 December 2009, 03:31 GMT]
While Sri Lanka government claims that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) held in Vavuniyaa Sri Lanka Army (SLA) detention centres can move freely, 1,27,905 of them are still being held in the camps, according to information given by Northern Province governor, Major Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri, in a special press meet held by him Monday in Jaffna Secretariat.
Full story >>

Australian reveals “deplorable” conditions onboard Indonesian boat

[TamilNet, Friday, 04 December 2009, 11:21 GMT]
Cramped conditions, illness, poor sanitation and a lack of food are some of the many hardships being endured by 254 Tamil refugees onboard an Indonesian vessel stated Australian Socialist Party member Anthony Main on his recent visit to the port of Merak. Able to gain access as part of a delegation of Indonesian and Australian unions, Main spoke to several of those on board, including women and children, and revealed an atmosphere of fear and confusion almost 8 weeks since they were intercepted by the Indonesian Navy at the request of the Australian Government.
Full story >>

'Resettled' by forced labour, without food or freedom to move

[TamilNet, Monday, 30 November 2009, 02:30 GMT]
The few thousands who have been resettled in selected divisions of Mullaiththeevu and Ki'linochchi districts, are reportedly affected by the lack of food supply, news reports reaching Vavuniyaa said. The 'resettled' are actually kept in schools in those areas and are extracted of forced labour to clear the locations of resettlement. Their freedom of movement is restricted. The whole operation doesn't look like resettlement of 'citizens' but of slaves, said a Tamil official on conditions of anonymity.
Full story >>

Travel restriction on Jaffna IDPs lifted

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 November 2009, 09:14 GMT]
Sri Lanka Ministry of Defence Thursday lifted the travel restriction on Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) brought from Vavuniyaa camps to Jaffna who were not allowed to leave Jaffna, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, it is reported that Ministry of Defence will be allowing private sector buses in Jaffna to operate Jaffna-Vavuniyaa travel service through A9 route. The government, in view of the forthcoming presidential election, has begun to announce concessions to the people of Jaffna peninsula, the sources added.
Full story >>

3 resettled IDPs arrested in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 25 November 2009, 11:53 GMT]
Three Tamil civilians were taken into custody by the Intelligence Unit of the Mannaar police Tuesday evening. Police sources confirmed that the suspects were a part of a group of Tamil civilians recently resettled in Adampan and Parappaagka'ndal villages in Mannaar district after being released from internment camps in Vavuniyaa.
Full story >>

A group of IDPs in Vavuniyaa camp to be taken to Ki’linochchi

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 November 2009, 19:10 GMT]
A batch of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Ki’linochchi district is to be taken from Vavvuniyaa camp to Ki’linochchi Maha Viththiyaalayam on 30th November in the first stage of resettling Vanni IDPs in their own places, sources in Vavuniyaa said. The IDPs who are to be resettled in nine Village Officers divisions located east of A9 road in Ki’linochchi will be first lodged in the Maha Viththiyalam, the sources added. Meanwhile, Northern Province Governor Major Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri has directed the Government Agent (GA) to take action to enable shops to function in all the areas of Ki’linochchi district.
Full story >>

3 killed, 14 injured in accident in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 November 2009, 16:09 GMT]
A lorry loaded with fertilizer bags on its way to Ooththuuchcheanai in Vadamunai from Vazhaichcheanai in Batticaloa district Friday slipped off the road into a culvert on Velikkanthai main road killing three farmers and seriously injuring fourteen more, sources in Batticaloa said. The condition of Ooththuchcheanai-Vadamunai road, filled with pock marks and pot-holes due to persisting rains, was the cause of the accident, the sources said.
Full story >>

More Batticaloa IDP families released for resettlement in their villages

[TamilNet, Thursday, 19 November 2009, 17:49 GMT]
Fifty-one Internally Displaced Persons of eighteen families held in camps in Jaffna district were sent to Batticaloa Thursday by three state sector buses thorough A9 road. They are now given shelter in Batticaloa Sinhala Maha Vidiyalayam. They would be resettled in their villages in the district after screening by armed forces and police intelligence unit, sources in Batticaloa said.
Full story >>

CID arrest heads of resettled IDP families – TNA parliamentarian

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 November 2009, 09:18 GMT]
Unidentified persons without uniform posing as personnel of Criminal Investigation Department arrest heads of IDP families who have been resettled in their own villages after detention in camps located in Vavuniyaa. These persons do not provide receipts to their relatives when they remove heads of their families, complained Mr. K. Thurairatnasingham, Trincomalee district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian, in parliament Tuesday.
Full story >>

Police instruct resettled Vanni IDPs in Batticaloa to re-register

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 18 November 2009, 05:16 GMT]
Police have requested all resettled Vanni internally displaced families in Batticaloa district to re-register them in the respective police stations immediately, sources in Batticaloa said.
Full story >>

SLA refuses permission to Minister Douglas Devananda to take IDPs to Thenmaraadchi

[TamilNet, Thursday, 12 November 2009, 16:06 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Thenmaraadchi in Jaffna peninsula refused permission Thursday when Jaffna based Sri Lanka Minister Douglas Devananda tried to take Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) who were evicted when SLA occupied Thenmaraadchi in 1990 to show their villages where they are to be resettled, sources in Jaffna said. Hundreds of men and women taken by Minister Douglas Devananda had to return disappointed to their camps or to the houses of relatives where they have been staying for more than 18 years being turned back at Aasaippi’l’ai Eattam near Ezhuthumadduvaa’l in Thenmaraadchi, the sources added.
Full story >>

Jaffna, an open prison since SLA occupation – Southern media persons

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 10 November 2009, 05:27 GMT]
A group consisting 27 media persons from the South brought to Jaffna by the Peace Congress Sunday told media in Jaffna that after 13 years of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) occupation Jaffna peninsula remains an open prison for its residents, before leaving Jaffna Monday. People lock themselves into their houses after dark and are subjected to various restrictions violating their freedom of movement, expression, imposed by SLA, they further said.
Full story >>

Vasudeva Nanayakkara to deliver speech titled “Tamils and Future” in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 November 2009, 18:20 GMT]
Vasudeva Nanayakkara, a senior Sinhalese politician and the senior advisor to President Mahintha Rajapakse, who arrived in Jaffna Friday is to deliver a speech titled “Tamils and Future” Saturday at Changkaraththai Hindu Youths’ Hall in Vaddukkoadai, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, Vasudeva Nanayakkara met Jaffna district High Court Magistrate R. T. Vicknarajah in Jaffna Court Complex Friday where the magistrate stressed on the importance of resettling Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Valikaamam North evicted nearly 19 years ago by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in order to establish High Security Zones (HSZ) in the said area, the sources added.
Full story >>

NP Governor orders all Vanni government servants to immediately report for duties

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 November 2009, 04:43 GMT]
The Governor of Northern Province and former Jaffna district Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Commander, Major Gen. G. A. Chandrsiri, issued an order Wednesday calling all the government servants who had been serving in the districts of Mullaiththeevu and Ki’linochchi in war torn Vanni to immediately report for duties at the IDP camps in Vavuniyaa, in a meeting held in Trincomalee with the heads of the government departments, sources in Vavuniyaa said.
Full story >>

US Legislators urge rapid release of interned Tamil civilians

[TamilNet, Friday, 06 November 2009, 03:49 GMT]
H. Res. 711 resolution, passed in the US House of Representatives Thursday by a vote of 421 to 1, reminded the Sri Lanka Government of its commitments to care for and ensure the 'speedy return' of those displaced by fighting, noting that Colombo made a commitment to the UN Human Rights Council that the 'bulk' of the IDPs would be resettled in 180 days, a period that will end on November 23, 2009. Fewer than 20% of those detained have been released as of Oct. 23, 2009. The resolution also emphasized that "the United States supports the rapid release and voluntary return of all civilian IDPs as a critical element of national reconciliation in Sri Lanka."
Full story >>

Fonseka demands summary justice for LTTE cadres

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 03 November 2009, 11:45 GMT]
"We must deploy enough troops to provide security for these [resettled] areas. We must in these areas, this virus, there are still 1000’s of terrorists in IDP camps. We must identify these terrorist and destroy them. We must take them into custody and then resettle them. We must provide security in strength to these areas. I will only be happy that we finished the war we ended when I see this," said General Sarath Fonseka during a talk in a Budhist Temple in Washington D.C., according a website's English translation, before the US Department of Homeland Security (DHS) asked for a "voluntary meeting" with the General to discuss the war-crimes alleged to be committed by Sri Lanka's military officials.
Full story >>

596 Ampaa'rai IDPs seek urgent help for survival

[TamilNet, Sunday, 01 November 2009, 13:27 GMT]
596 IDPs from Ampaa'rai district transferred from Vavuniyaa internment camps have been stranded in their villages without any dwelling facilities and help, civil society sources said. Many IDPs are forced to stay with their relatives and friends. The Ampaarai IDPs, who are former residents of Poththuvil, Thirukkoay8l, Aalaiyadivempu, Kaaraitheevu, Naavithanve'li and Kalmunai, were brought in four stages from Vavuniyaa and sheltered in transit camps located in Kaaraitheevu Vipulananda Central College.
Full story >>

IDPs brought to Jaffna from Vavuniyaa camps

[TamilNet, Saturday, 31 October 2009, 06:26 GMT]
The number of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) internment camps in Vavuniyaa brought to Jaffna since 5 August, claiming that they will be resettled, has exceeded 41,000, sources in Jaffna said. The IDPs from Vanni district among the people brought have to stay in camps if they do not have any relatives to take charge of them, the sources added.
Full story >>

More IDPs transferred to transit camp in Mannaar

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 October 2009, 11:11 GMT]
147 members of 52 Internally Displaced Persons (IDP) families from Menikfarm internment camp in Vavuniyaa district were transferred to a transit camp located in Illupaikku’lam in Mannaar district before being resettled in their villages, from which they were forcibly vacated due to military operation by Sri Lanka Army (SLA). They would be screened by the army intelligence unit and would be allowed to leave the transit centre for their villages for resettlement, civil authority sources in Vavuniyaa said.
Full story >>

Vanni IDPs in Jaffna not allowed to go to Vanni

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 28 October 2009, 04:17 GMT]
The Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) of Vanni origin detained in Sri Lanka Army (SLA) detention camp in Raamaavil in Thenmaraadchi have to stay in the camp if there are no relatives in Jaffna to take them over, according to Jaffna Secretariat sources. Though the government campaigns that Vanni IDPs will be resettled in their own villages, in reality they are not allowed to return to their homes, NGOs in Jaffna said.
Full story >>