957 uprooted Tamil families in Ampaa'rai district still remain in shelters

[TamilNet, Thursday, 17 November 2011, 15:47 GMT]
Contrary to the claims by Colombo government and its paramilitary run subservient Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) that all uprooted Tamils have been resettled in Ampaa'rai district, 957 uprooted families from four Tamil villages in Thirukkoayil DS division of Ampaa'rai district in the East still remain in shelters amid claims, according to Batticaloa district TNA parliamentarian Mr.C.Yogeswaran. The MP visited the four villages, , Thangkavealaayutha-puram, Kagnchikudichchaa'ru, Kaagnchirangkudaa and Chaakama, last weekend to collect information about the Tamil families that have been struggling without resettlement.

Instead of resettling people, the Colombo government is attempting to refurbish existing camps of the once notorious Special Task Force (STF) in these villages, the TNA MP was told by the uprooted people.

Residents of these villages were uprooted following an attack by Sri Lankan military with the support of Muslim paramilitary homeguards in 1986. About 180 Tamils perished in the attack.

Many of the remaining villagers were abducted by armed groups and the SL military.

Since the war came to an end two and a half years ago in the East, the Tamil families who were seeking to resettle in their own villages, still remain in temporary shelters and with friends and relatives elsewhere without basic facilities and other assistance.

The uprooted people have not received any resettlement assistance. They lack basic facilities, there is no livelihood assistance to them and they all live in poverty.

Of 957 families, 425 are from Thangkavealaayutha-puram, 406 from Kangnchikudichchaa'ru and 126 from Chaakamam.