SLA accused of imposing restrictions on resettlement in Valikaamam

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 16 November 2010, 16:07 GMT]
The Welfare Associations for the uprooted families from Valikaamam accused Jaffna Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities for imposing undue restrictions on the people in Thellippazhai Divisional Secretariat area. Jaffna Government Agent (GA) Ms. Imelda Sukumar, instructed by the SLA authorities has asked the families of the above area to again register their particulars on 19 November though they had submitted the necessary particulars earlier, the associations said. Besides, the Non-government Organizations that are to assist the families to be resettled are also asked to submit applications through the GA. The families are not going to be resettled in the SLA occupied High Security Zone (HSZ) in Valikaamam but in the No-man-zone on the edge of the HSZ, the associations pointed out.
Full story >>

Jaffna fishermen complain against SLA restrictions before LLRC

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 November 2010, 12:25 GMT]
Representatives of Maathakal Fishermen Society complained Friday to the Lessons Learnt & Reconciliation Committee (LLRC) against the closure of the fishing jetties in Valikaamam North High Security Zone (HSZ) of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and the continuing restrictions to fish using the only jetty in the area, in A’laveddi Mahajana Hall Friday. Witnessing before LLRC, the representative from Maathakal pointed to the LLRC that Sri Lanka government that had urgently executed the verdict of the Supreme Court to demerge the North and East had failed to execute the Supreme Court verdict to allow resettlement in Valikaamam North HSZ though the two verdicts were given on the same day.
Full story >>

Tamil editor blames Colombo of deceiving uprooted civilians in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 November 2010, 18:14 GMT]
A leading journalist and the news editor of Thinakkural Tamil daily published in Jaffna, M. Vamadevan accused the Sri Lankan governments in power during the last 20 years of deceiving the uprooted people from Valikaamam North Sri Lanka Army (SLA) High Security Zones (HSZs) saying that resettlement is not possible as they are infested with land mines, witnessing before the Lessons Learnt & Reconciliation Committee (LLRC) Thursday in Jaffna. Promises had been given to the uprooted families that they will be soon permitted to resettle in their own places at various instances by various Sri Lanka ministers and government officials but nothing has been done to resettle them, Vamadevan told LLRC.
Full story >>

SLA, police protection to Jaffna GA Imelda Sukumar

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 10 November 2010, 11:24 GMT]
Sri Lanka Defence Ministry has ordered protection to Ms. Imelda Sukumar, Jaffna Government Agent (GA) in response to complaint made by her to the ministry of continuous threat to her life through phone calls, sources in Jaffna said. Her residence in the Old Park in front of Jaffna Government Secretariat is being guarded by SLA from Wednesday morning while her office is provided with police protection, the sources added.
Full story >>

Muslim families to be resettled in Jaffna soon – Jaffna GA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 07 November 2010, 06:01 GMT]
“The Muslim families evacuated from Jaffna 20 year ago will be soon resettled in their own places,” Jaffna Government Agent (GA), Ms. Imelda Sukumar said in an event held in Jaffna Osmania College Saturday. The event was organized by more than ten Muslim organizations in Jaffna in memory of the evacuation in 1990, sources in Jaffna said. Imelda Sukumar saying in the event that Sri Lanka government is correct in asserting that there is no place in Sri Lanka for any race to claim exclusive rights to it, has raised controversy among the people of Jaffna. She had previously said that there were no High Security Zones in Jaffna peninsula but only areas which have not been de-mined, a statement contrary to the truth, the sources added.
Full story >>

Sinhala families to be settled in Jaffna with Chinese assistance

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 02 November 2010, 05:33 GMT]
Colombo government has decided to settle the Sinhala families claiming they were IDPS and demading resettlement in Jaffna on the coastal areas of Jaffna Fort and Ma’niyam-thoaddam in Kozhumpuththu’rai, sources in Jaffna said. Parts of prefabricated houses donated by China to construct 12,000 houses in the areas from Mu'rika'ndi to Mullaiththeevu to settle Sinhala families have been brought to Jaffna to construct houses for the Sinhala families. The Sinhala families claiming resettlement are lodged in the Old Jaffna Railway Station where they had arrived in early October and are looked after by the Sri Lanka Army in Jaffna.
Full story >>

Mavai Senathirajah refutes Jaffna GA’s statement on Valikaamam HSZ issue

[TamilNet, Sunday, 31 October 2010, 07:58 GMT]
“I am one of the victims uprooted from the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) High Security Zone 20 years ago and the petition filed by me in court seeking resettlement is pending inquiry. It is ridiculous for Jaffna Government Agent Ms. Imelda Sukumar to claim that there are no HSZs in Jaffna peninsula,” Mavai Senathirajah, Tamil Natilonal Alliance (TNA) Jaffna district parliamentarian said. Ms. Imelda Sukumar, speaking at the event of the handing over of furniture by SLA to Jaffna Teaching Hospital Saturday had claimed that there were no HSZs in Jaffna peninsula but only areas which need to be cleared of landmines.
Full story >>

6 Village divisions in Mullaiththeevu district declared as HSZ

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 27 October 2010, 06:03 GMT]
Sri Lanka President’s Action Committee and Sri Lanka Ministry of Defence have declared six Village Officer divisions in Mullaiththeevu district as High Security Zone (HSZ) of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Tuesday evening, according to the officials of Mullaiththeevu Government Secretariat. The above authorities have instructed the officials not to permit resettlement of uprooted families in the areas declared as HSZ. Puthukkudiyiruppu East and West, Mallikaiththteevu, Sivanakar, Aananthapuram and Manthuvil are the village officer divisions declared as HSZ.
Full story >>

SLA continues to limit number of students into VMMV College in Palaali HSZ

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 12 October 2010, 06:05 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities in Palaali High Security Zone (HSZ) permitted only three upper grade classes to function in a small section of Vasaavi’laan Maththiya Makaa Viththiyaalayam (Central College) located in Palaali military HSZ in an event Monday when the building was officially handed over to the school administration. Though Sri Lanka government had handed the entire school officially in an event held with much publicity in September, SLA officials had later not allowed the school to reopen claiming that land mines in the location have to be removed. The principal of the school said that so far he has not been informed as to when the other classes would be permitted to attend classes. However, he confirmed that renovation of the school buildings is under way.
Full story >>

193 Sinhala families seek resettlement in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 09 October 2010, 05:12 GMT]
193 Sinhala families have arrived in Jaffna until Friday seeking resettlement in Jaffna claiming that their families had lived in Jaffna before 1983. They are occupying the old Jaffna Railway Station premises displacing the families of uprooted families from Valikaamam North Sri Lanka Army (SLA) High Security Zone (HSZ) who had been staying there, local media sources said. Some of these Sinhala families belong to SLA soldiers in Jaffna and SLA authorities are providing the basic needs for all the Sinhala families. Meanwhile, Jaffna Government Agent Ms. Imelda Sukumar said that no one had informed Jaffna Secretariat about the Sinhala families coming to Jaffna. The families handed Friday appeals to Jaffna GA and Sri Lanka minister Douglas Devananda requesting help to resettle them in Jaffna.
Full story >>

SLA opens ‘luxury’ resort in occupied Tamil land

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 05 October 2010, 18:31 GMT]
A ‘tourist resort’ owned and managed by Sri Lanka Army was opened at Kaangkeasanthu’rai in the occupied ‘High Security Zone’ in the Jaffna Peninsula on Monday by Colombo’s Army commander Jagath Jayasuriya. The resort bears a Sinhala name ‘Thalsevana’. The HSZ there was created after evacuating several ancient villages of Tamils. On Sunday, the Army rejected all possibilities of resettling the displaced. The Army didn’t permit the re-opening of a Central College in the zone either. If a tourist resort could be opened there by the army, what is the meaning of continuing the area as HSZ, asked a person who is unable to even visit his house and land there. While Sri Lanka teaches new lessons to the world on genocide, there are some ‘responsible’ global bigwigs who advise Tamils not to call a spade, a spade, he further said.
Full story >>

Resettlement in Valikaamam North HSZ not possible – Jaffna SLA Commander

[TamilNet, Monday, 04 October 2010, 07:12 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Commander, Major Gen. Mahinda Kathurusinghe, who had earlier admitted the possibility of resettling uprooted families in Valikaamam North SLA High Security Zone, however, said that resettlement is not possible due to the danger of landmines. He told the representatives of the Committee for Peace and Goodwill so in a meeting held in Jaffna Bishop House Sunday, presided by Bishop Rt. Rev. Thomas Saundaranayagam. Meanwhile, the Coordinating Committee for De-mining in Jaffna Secretariat said that SLA had not permitted de-mining in its HSZ in Valikaamam North. Mahinda Kathursinghe’s announcement has caused shock and despair among the families uprooted by SLA from their properties in Valikaamam North, sources in Jaffna said.
Full story >>

SLA denies permission to reopen Central College in Palaali HSZ

[TamilNet, Friday, 01 October 2010, 05:51 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) officials in Palaali High Security Zone did not permit the school administrators to reopen Vassavi’laan Maththiya Makaa Viththiyaalayam located in Palaali HSZ which was officially handed over Tuesday in a event held in the school in the presence of Northern Province Governor Major Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri, SLA Jaffna Commander Major Gen. Mahinda Kathurusinghe, Sri Lanka Minister Douglas Devandanda and Education Department officers. The school administrators who took the furniture and other necessary things from the temporary location of the school Thursday were sent back and directed to take all the things brought out of the HSZ. The SLA officials told them that the school could only be reopened in 2011, Jaffna Education Department sources said.
Full story >>

Douglas Devananda pays homage to SLA soldiers killed in demining

[TamilNet, Thursday, 30 September 2010, 05:20 GMT]
Sri Lanka Minister Douglas Devananda paid homage to the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers killed in demining operations in the North in an event held in Vassavi’laan Maththiya Makaa Viththiyaalayam Tuesday. Paying homage to SLA soldiers by Douglas Devananda is an attempt to please Major Gen. Mahinda Kathurusinghe, SLA Jaffna Commander who had openly criticized him for exploiting the sacrifices of SLA soldiers to attain selfish interests, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, Northern Province Governor, Major Gen. G. A. Chandrasiri is keen in improving relations between Douglas Devananda and Mahinda Kathurusinghe, the sources added.
Full story >>

Reopening Vasaavi’laan School in Palaali HSZ not immediately possible

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 September 2010, 20:19 GMT]
Reopening Vasaavi’laan Maththiya Makaa Viththiyaalayam caught in Palaali High Security Zone (HSZ) of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) for the last twenty years is not immediately possible due to the danger of landmines in the school precincts, the school administration said. The school is functioning in a private property in Urumpiraay area since it was forced to displace in 1990 due to SLA offensives. The roof and the furniture of the school had been plundered during SLA occupation.
Full story >>

Explosion kills SLA soldier, injures another in Valikaamam HSZ

[TamilNet, Monday, 27 September 2010, 18:06 GMT]
A Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldier was killed and another seriously injured when a device exploded Monday evening during a search operation conducted by SLA soldiers in Maaviddapuram area in the SLA High Security Zone (HSZ) in Valikaamam North occupied by SLA, a media report Monday night from Palaali SLA Head Quarter said. This incident has occurred in the context of Sri Lanka Government saying that people are to be allowed to resettle in their own properties in places excluding the areas around Palaali SLA base in Valikaamam North. Maaviddapuram is located in an area out of Palaali HSZ.
Full story >>

Resettlement possible in Valikaamam North HSZ: Jaffna SLA Commander

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 22 September 2010, 13:03 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) Jaffna Commander Major Gen. Mahinda Kathurusinghe for the first time commented on the issue of resettling families uprooted by SLA in Valikaamam North saying that it is possible to resettle them in areas excluding Palaali High Security Zone (HSZ). The SLA commander admitted this Tuesday in Maanippaay Piratheasa chapai hall while participating as Chief guest in an event for school children organized by SLA. Many similar announcements had been made by Sri Lanka government ministers, officials and politicians during the Presidential and Parliamentary elections and in the following period but around 100,000 uprooted persons still live in camps and with their relatives and friends for the past twenty years, Welfare Organizations for Uprooted Families circles said.
Full story >>

TNA parliamentarians to visit Valikaamam North HSZ

[TamilNet, Friday, 17 September 2010, 05:51 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) spokesman and Jaffna district parliamentarian Suresh Premachandran said that a group of TNA parliamentarians will be visiting Valikaamam North Sri Lanka Army (SLA) occupied High Security Zone (HSZ) once they get the permission from Sri Lanka Ministry of Defence. Meanwhile, Basil Rajapaksa, Sri Lanka minister and brother of SL President Mahinda Rjapaksa who is in Jaffna has again said that the families uprooted from Valikaamam North by SLA will be allowed to resettle in their places excluding the surroundings of Palaali Airport, sources in Jaffna said. Meanwhile, SLA authorities have already marked places in Palaali to construct housing schemes for the colonization of Sinhala families in the lands of Tamils evicted by SLA, sources in Palaali said.
Full story >>

Danger of landmines in nearly half of Jaffna peninsula

[TamilNet, Sunday, 12 September 2010, 07:30 GMT]
49,7 sq kms of Jaffna peninsula (44%) are identified infested with land mines sown during war, according to Jaffna District Secretariat survey statistics. The explosive devices so far removed in Jaffna peninsula excluding the outskirts of Sri Lanka Army (SLA) High Security Zone (HSZ) in Valikaamam North are more than 120,000. The residents of Valikaamam North evicted by occupying SLA 20 years ago still live in interim camps as SLA refuses to permit them to resettle in their own properties.
Full story >>

Some areas in Vadamaraadchi East to be declared HSZ

[TamilNet, Thursday, 09 September 2010, 03:01 GMT]
The uprooted families of Vadamaraadchi East ín Raamaavil and Kudaththanai camps who will be taken to Vadamaraadchi East Thursday will be first lodged in four government buildings and the families from Kaddaikkaadu and Vettilaikkea'ni areas will not be permitted to resettle in their own houses as these villages now occupied by Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) are expected to be declared as High Security Zone (HSZ), Jaffna District Secretariat sources said. The uprooted families from these villages may have to remain in the government buildings and nothing can be confirmed about the resettlement procedure now, according to Maruthangkea'ni Assistant Government Agent Office sources. Meanwhile, Point Pedro-Maruthangkea'ni road through Naakarkoayil that had been closed by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) for the last fifteen years will be opened for public use Thursday from 7:00 a.m to 5:00 p.m, the sources added.
Full story >>