EPC opposes affiliation of Trinco campus with universities in South

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 16 October 2013, 10:22 GMT]
The Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) has unanimously adopted a motion against the proposed affiliation of the Trincomalee campus of the Eastern University with the Rajarata University of Anuradhapura or with the Jayewardanapura University in Colombo. The motion was moved at EPC's September session by the Leader of the Opposition Mr C.Thandayuthapani, the group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in the council. Mr R.Thurairatnam, TNA’s Batticaloa district councillor seconded the motion.

Mr.Thandayuthapani said that the Trincomalee campus has been functioning as a full-fledged campus of the Eastern University, currently located in Vanthaa'rumoolai in Batticaloa district since 15 June 2001.

Earlier, from 1993 the Trincomalee campus had been functioning as an Affiliated University College of the Eastern University, according to a gazette notification.

Tamil educationists in the North-East in the 1950s made a demand to establish a Tamil University in Trincomalee and the land had also been allocated for the construction of it. But it never materialized.

After the campus was established, there was a move initiated by the Colombo education authorities to affiliate the Trincomalee campus with the Rajarata University in Anuradhapura. However, due to the protest by the Trincomalee civil society, the matter was dropped.

Then again, another move has now been mooted by occupying Colombo's education ministry to affiliate the Trincomalee campus with the Colombo Jayewardenepura University.

The effort to affiliate the Trincomalee University Campus in the country of Eezham Tamils with the universities in the Sinhala provinces is viewed as a crucial step in the process of Sinhalicisation of Trincomalee that is now undertaken in an accelerated way by genocidal Colombo with the blessings of outside powers.

The Sinhalicisation process, taking place inside the Trincomalee University Campus itself has made news in recent times.

Annihilation of any form of territorial identity of Eezham Tamils is the thrust of the LLRC recommendations, the implementation of which have been made into an ‘international obligation’ by Washington and New Delhi.

New Delhi Foreign Minister’s reference in Jaffna last week on making Sri Lanka a ‘trilingual country’ implies making Tamils as subjugated minorities throughout the island. The statement also bares the outlook of New Delhi on Colombo’s structural genocide programmes such as the one now planned for the Trincomalee University Campus, said educational circles in Trincomalee.

The present EPC motion requests the SL Higher Education Ministry and the SL University Grants Commission not to affiliate Trincomalee campus with the Rajarata University or Jayewardanapura University.

The motion was unanimously passed with the support of councillors of the ruling United People Freedom Alliance (UPFA), and Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC).

Trincomalee campus is located 12 km from Trincomalee city, at Koa'nesapuri in Nilaave'li in 350 acres of land.

Currently, the Trincomalee campus comprises Faculty of Communication and Business Studies, Faculty of Applied Sciences and Faculty of Siddha Medicine.

More than five hundred students are enrolled in the campus.

Chronology:

16.10.13  EPC opposes affiliation of Trinco campus with univ..

18.07.13  Affiliating Trinco university campus with Anuradha..

01.11.12  Colombo plans to appropriate Trincomalee campus of..

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Tamil contiguity to be wedged at district level in East

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 06 August 2013, 01:04 GMT]http://www.tamilnet.com/art.html?catid=79&artid=36535
The Eastern Provincial Council headed by Chief Minister Najeeb Abdul Majeed of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) is keeping mum while covert plan is being designed to carve out a separate Sinhala district called Seruvila district out of Trincomalee district, by selling lands in coastal areas to Sinhalese businessmen of the South. Valuable lands along the coastal areas in Trincomalee district are being appropriated to be given on lease and to be sold for outsiders by the Colombo government. While on one side the contiguity of the Tamil speaking people are wedged between the North and East provinces by the creation of the Weli-Oya division, on the other side, the contiguity is wedged even within the Eastern Province itself, between the Tamil-speaking people of Trincomalee and Batticaloa. Seruvila comes between Trincomalee and Batticaloa.

Already 558 acres of coastal areas from I'rakka'ndi to Kuchchave'li have been appropriated by the Colombo government under a special gazette notification that the stretch is to be sold to outsiders.

In the meantime, another 390 acres of lands along the coast of Moothoor and Ki'n'niyaa from Uppaa'ru and Mahaweli River are also to be appropriated by the Colombo government with the backing of the occupying Sri Lanka Army. These lands are also to be sold to ‘outsiders’.

The lands that are under appropriation by the Colombo government belong Tamils and Muslims of the district.

Tamils and Muslim sources say that it is the duty of the Eastern Provincial Council to preserve the identity of the Tamil-speaking peoples in the district. But, the council neither has the guts nor the powers to implement province-centric programmes.

Trincomalee district is comprised of three electorates: Trincomalee, Moothoor and Seruwila.

Seruwila came in to existence in 1952 when the then United National Party government led by the first Prime Minister D.S.Senenayake, carried out state aided colonization schemes and settled Sinhalese from the south of the country in the then Tamil dominated Trincomalee district.

Informed sources say that the Colombo government has now planned to create a new administrative district called Seruvila before the next parliament election.

Land appropriation in Trincomalee district is going unabated targeting for the creation of the new Sinhala district.

Already the Ampaa’rai district in the Eastern Province is fast Sinhalicised. Now there will be yet another Sinhala district in the province, aiming for 50 per cent demographic control of the province, where before the so-called independence the percentage of Sinhalese was not even 5 per cent.

Currently there are three districts in the province: Trincomalee, Batticaloa and Ampaa’rai. With the creation of Seruvila there will be four, and two out of then will be Sinhala districts.

The East will permanently lose the contiguity of Tamil-speaking people, and there will be only isolated pockets of subjugated Tamils and Muslims, if the New Delhi-Washington-London partnered genocide is not stopped by mass action of Tamils all over the world, said Tamil activists for alternative politics in the island.

Even after seeing the blatant demographic genocide, and knowing very well who are the ultimate culprits blessing the genocide, the so-called Tamil politicians continue listening to them and to the provincial council hoodwink of confirming the genocide, the activists commented.

Whether one meekly listens to them, or don’t listen, if genocide is the course taken up by the ultimate culprits, why should one listen to them at all? Why not boycott them to their face? Declaring non-cooperation with them is not going make one lose anything with the kind of pre-determined injustice practised by them. By doing so, at least one registers the protest to the awareness of the world and inspires the next generation in addressing the struggle rightly. By not doing so, one only blunts even the future struggle at the behest of the ultimate culprits, the activists further said.

protest against erection of Buddha statue

TNA MPs, EPC councilors hold protest against erection of Buddha statue in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 29 May 2013, 10:11 GMT]
Batticaloa district parliamentarians of the Tamil National Alliance and the councilors of the Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) and members of the public held a demonstration on Wednesday morning against the construction of the statue of Lord Buddha at the entrance to the city in front of the Batticaloa Pi'l'laiyaar Koayil.

Protestors went in procession to Koayiladi holding placards and shouting slogans against the move to erect the Buddha statue.

They shouted slogans and carried placards stating ‚“What is the need for a Buddha statue where no Buddhist living in the city. Do not make Lord Buddha a symbol of anarchy”.

Members of the Batticaloa Pi'l'laiyaaradi Sri Pulavi Pillaiyar Koayil committee, Koththuk-ku'lam Sri Muthtumaraiamman Koayil committee and Pi'l'laiayaaradi Rural Development Society committee handed over a memorandum to the Batticaloa district TNA parliamentarian Mr.P.Selvarajah to be submitted to the Sri Lankan Government Agent of Batticaloa District.

Thereafter a delegation of TNA district parliamentarians and EPC councilors handed over the memorandum to the SL Government Agent and the ‘District Brigadier’ of the occupying Sri Lanka Army.

Batticaloa District TNA parliamentarians Messrs P.Selkvarajah P.Ariyanethran and C.Yogeswaran and EPC councilors K.Thurairajasingham, R.Thurairatnam, Jana Karunakaran, Prasanna Indrakumar, Nadarajah and Krishnapillai Vellimalai were in the delegation that met the SLGA and the ‘District Brigadier’ of the SLA.

Chronology:

29.05.13  TNA MPs, EPC councilors hold protest against erect..

26.05.13  Buddha statue to be erected at the entrance of Bat..

EPC TNA councilor condemns attack on University students in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Sunday, 02 December 2012, 15:55 GMT]
Jaffna University student J.Jenanarthanan who is also a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) councilor in the Eastern Provincial Council issued a statement condemning the attack on Jaffna university students by the State armed forces on the Heroes Day. Mr Jenanarthanan was one of the three councilors elected to the Eastern Provincial Council on the TNA ticket from the Trincomalee district. He has been studying in the Arts Faculty of the Jaffna University.

”The Government of Sri Lanka has proved again its suppressive rule with the attack carried out by its armed forces on Jaffna university students. The attack on Tamil students and journalists should be considered as an act against their basic human rights,” Janarthanan said in his statement.

“Under the guise of developing the Tamil areas the SL government is attempting to suppress the aspirations of the Tamil community in its own traditional land,” he further said in a statement issued on Friday.

“Tamil people are currently placed in a tragic situation that they cannot organize remembrance events of their loved ones. To suppress the power of youths could boomerang on the government force that is engaged in destroying it,” the statement issued by the young member of the EPC further said.

Chronology:

03.12.12  SL military threatens senior faculty members of Ja..

02.12.12  EPC TNA councilor condemns attack on University st..

01.12.12  Paramilitary allegedly backed by India effects arr..

30.11.12  Canadian organizations condemn attack on students ..

29.11.12  SLA attack on Tamil students is ‘additional’ issue..

29.11.12  TNA parliamentarian, university students question ..

28.11.12  Peaceful student protest attacked by SL military i..

28.11.12  Ladies’ hostel lights Common Flame, bells stun SL ..

Tamils vote with Muslims in EPC against SLA land grab of Muslim village

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 07 November 2012, 15:30 GMT]
The Eastern Provincial Council (EPC), which is now under the control of ruling United People Freedom Alliance (UPFA) passed a resolution unanimously Tuesday against the appropriation by the Sri Lanka Army of the entire traditional Muslim village, Karimayilaiyoottu with a century old mosque. C.Thandayuthapani, the opposition leader in the EPC who represents the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) extended full support to the motion saying that no one would tolerate the appropriation of a traditional Muslim village and the mosque by the Sri Lankan military. The resolution was brought by Ameer Ali, a ruling party member, at the monthly meeting of the EPC.

Karimayilaiyoottu village is situated in Ve'l'lama'nal GS division of Trincomalee DS division.

More than one hundred Muslim families had been living in the village. Thei main livelihood is fishing. The mosque at their village was built in the year 1838.

When the Indian military arrived in the North-East in 1987, a camp of the IPKF was set up in the village. The residents were evacuated and were given temporary shelter elsewhere during the IPKF stay. The villagers returned after the IPKF left.

Thereafter, in 1994 the occupying Sri Lanka Navy constructed a camp in the village and introduced a ‘pass’ system for the residents to move in and out of the village, fully restricting their livelihood.

The uprooted Muslims then organized a protest demanding that they should be allowed to resettle and to continue fishing without any interruption by the Sri Lanka Navy. However, when the Sri Lanka Navy said it would leave the village, the Sri Lanka Army without any notice walked into the village in January 2012, setting up a camp and dashing the hope of Muslim residents that they could at last return to their village.

Mr.Ameer Alia made a plea that it is high time that the EPC should take immediate steps to send away the Sri Lanka Army from the village and allow the uprooted Muslim people to resettle in their lands and pray in their centuries old mosque.

Mr.Thandayuthapani, urged all members of the EPC, irrespective of their party affiliations, to support the motion.

The opposition leader further said that the EPC also should look into the untold sufferings of the Tamil people who have been uprooted from Champoor in April 2006 following massive military operation by the Sri Lankan military.

The uprooted Tamil people are now languishing in temporary shelters for the last several years without being allowed to resettle in their own lands, Mr.Thandayuthapani appealed.

He pointed out that Champoor uprooted people are currently housed in four temporary shelters in Paddiththidal, Ma'natcheanai, Ki'liveddi and Kaddai-pa'richchaan.

SL authorities are refusing relief assistance to the uprooted Tamils of Champoor and they are undergoing untold sufferings due to recent rains.

The EPC should take up their case with Colombo and provide relief by allowing them to resettle in their traditional villages, Mr. Thandayuthapani urged.

Colombo snatches away even little power devolved to EPC: TNA councilor

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 October 2012, 21:40 GMT]
The leader of the opposition in the Eastern Provincial Council, Mr C. Thandayuthapani, a Tamil National Alliance (TNA) politician, has said that the Sri Lankan government in Colombo was trying to snatch even the littler powers already devolved to the provincial administration in the Eastern Province. The comment by the TNA politician has come in the wake of EPC endorsing the controversial ‘Divineguma’ bill on Tuesday. The draft bill is a blueprint for the structural genocide of the country of Eezham Tamils, say Tamil civil officials in the East. In the meantime, the TNA has also filed a case at the SL Court of appeal against a move by Colombo to get a similar approaval from the colonial military governor in North to approve the bill in the absence of an elected provincial council in the North.

The draft bill has paved way for the establishment of a Department of Divineguma Development incorporating the existing Samurdhi Authority, Southern Development Authority and the Udarata Development Authority into a single unit under Colombo governments Development Ministry, which is headed by SL presidential sibling Basil Rajapaksa.

The Divineguma bill was recently challenged in the SL Supreme Court by two political parties. The SL court ruled the draft bill be referred to the provincial councils before it was passed in the SL Parliament.

On Tuesday, the controversial bill was passed in the Eastern Provincial Council by Mahinda Rajapska's UPFA, with the support of the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (SLMC). 21 voted approving the bill while 15 opposed.

14 members of the ruling UPFA and 7 members of the SLMC voted for the bill and 11 members of the Tamil National Alliance (TNBA) and four members of the United National Party (UNP) voted against it.

The chairperson of the council, Mrs Aroiyawathi Galapathi, a member of the ruling UPFA, did not vote.

Mr Abdul Majeed Mohamed Najeeb, the chief minister of the EPC, who said the bill was paving way for a ‘fast development’ of the Eastern province irrespective of ‘cast, creed and race’, presented the bill for debate on Tuesday morning and the bill was put for vote after a full day debate on Tuesday evening.

Abdul Majeed Mohamed Najeeb has finally paved way for the transfer of even the limited powers in deciding the development affairs to the Colombo centric SL State system, Tamil members in the opposition told media.

The development authority coming with a Sinhala name, Divi-næguma (raising the island) shows what 'development' actually means to Tamils and Tamil-speaking Muslims in the island, commented civil society circles in the East.

This is also an example for the LLRC-based language-implementation of the genocidal state, to inaugurate which the former Indian President Abdul Kalam visited the island earlier this year, the civil circles further said.

[Divi: Theevu in Tamil, island; Nægeema in Sinhala: ascending, ascension; Nægu as prefix in words in Sinhala means to raise; Nookku in Tamil: push, raise, lift, impel, incite. A word of Dravidian Etymology. Dravidian Etymological Dictionary 3722. Other related words in Tamil are Nempu, DED 3743; Nimir, DED 2922.]

Colombo appoints Sinhala Chief Secretary, sidelines Tamils in EPC

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 25 September 2012, 17:20 GMT]
Sri Lankan government has appointed a Sinhalese, Mr DMS Abeygunawardena as Chief Secretary of the predominantly Tamil-speaking Eastern Province. Not a single Tamil has been appointed as minister by Colombo. Apart from the Muslim Chief Minister, three Muslims and a Sinhalese have been appointed as ministers to the newly formed EPC. Paramilitary operative Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan alias Pillaiyan is the sole member of the newly elected EPC from the Batticaloa district, but he declined to accept a ministerial portfolio. Instead he has been appointed by the SL President as his ‘advisor’ for the entire Eastern Province.

A former provincial minister, T. Navaratnarajah, was appointed for one of the two bonus seats of the UPFA. The other is a Sinhalese from the Ampaa'rai district.

With the formation of the merged North East Provincial Council the post of Chief Secretary was held by Tamil civil servants, first by Dr K.Vigneswaran, then Mr.V.N.Sivarajah, Mr.G.Krishnamoorthy and Mr.S.Rangarajah.

With the de-merger of the two provinces on a court order in a case filed by the Sinhala extremist Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna, which was once a constituent of the ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA), first election to the de-merged Eastern Provincial Council was held in 2008 and Mr.Balasingham was appointed as the Chief Secretary.

He was on extension after he reached his sixty years of age.

The outgoing Tamil Chief Secretary Mr V.P.Balasingham handed over the office to Abeyagunawardene at a function held at the Chief Secretary’s Secretariat situated at Varoathayanakar in Trincomalee on Monday.

SLMC harms interests of Tamil speaking people by joining UPFA in EPC: Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Sunday, 23 September 2012, 21:44 GMT]
The decision of the SLMC to support the UPFA to the government at the provincial level in the East, is clearly in violation of the mandate given to it, by the voters, and is unprincipled and opportunistic, said R. Sampanthan, the president of the Ilangkai Tamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) and the parliamentary group leader of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA). The decision made by the SLMC gravely harms the short term safeguards and the long term interests that the Tamil speaking people - the Tamil and Muslim peoples need to secure in order to live with dignity and security in the territories that they have historically inhabited, Mr Sampanthan said in his statement on Sunday.

Full text of the statement issued following the Working Committee meeting of the ITAK held in Vavuniyaa on Saturday follows:

The Working Committee of the Ilankai Tamil Arasu Katchchi (I.T.A.K.) met at Vavuniya on 22 nd September 2012.

The Elections to the Eastern provincial Council held on 8th September 2012 and its’ results were carefully analysed.

It was the unanimous view, that numerous illegal and corrupt practices, such as intimidation of candidates, workers and voters, undue influence and bribery of voters, misuse of government resources, and officials, and misrepresentation were indulged in freely, by the United Peoples’ Freedom Alliance (U.P.F.A.). In the circumstances the elections were neither free nor fair.

The repeal of the 17th Amendment to the Constitution and the absence of independent Elections, Public Services, and Police Services Commissions w as exploited fully by the Government to steal a victory at the Eastern Council Elections, the first major election held after the repeal of the 17 th Amendment to the Constitution.

Despite the above, out of a total of over 633,000 votes cast at the election, the majority claimed by the ruling party was a mere 6217, a majority clearly obtained by reason of the aforesaid illegal and corrupt practices. It was this slim illegally obtained majority that enabled the U.P.F.A to obtain the 2 bonus seats.

In all, only 15 seats were obtained by the U.P.F.A. and it’s partner the National Freedom Front. The parties that campaigned against the U.P.F.A at the elections secured 22 seats- the I.T.A.K.-11 seats, the Sri Lanka Muslim Congress (S.L.M.C.) 7 seats, U.N.P. - 4 seats. These parties were given a clear mandate by the overwhelming majority of the voters to function against the U.P.F.A. The S.L.M.C was strongly critical of the U.P.F.A and obtained it’s votes, on the basis that it opposed the U.P.F.A. The I.T.A.K. spoke to the leadership of the both the S.L.M.C. and the U.N.P. and offered the Chief Ministership to the S.L.M.C. to form the Government. The U.N.P. agreed to support these initiatives of the I.T.A.K.

The decision of the S.L.M.C to support the U.P.F.A to the Government at the provincial level, is clearly in violation of the mandate given to it, by the voters, and is unprincipled and opportunistic. It gravely harms the short term safeguards and the long term interests that the Tamil speaking people- the Tamil and Muslim peoples need to secure in order to live with dignity and security in the territories that they have historically inhabited.

The I.T.A.K. strongly condemns the betrayal and undermining of the democratic verdict of the voters by the S.L.M.C. The I.T.A.K however remains firmly committed to the evolution of an honorably political solution that is also acceptable to the Muslim people and the I.T.A.K. will not abandon the future well- being of the Tamil speaking people- the Tamil and Muslim peoples - as the S.L.M.C has done.

Of the 12 Tamil members elected to the Provincial Council 11 members were from the I.T.A.K. the 12th Tamil member was the highly questionable election of the former Chief Minister on the U.P.F.A ticket. He is alleged to have received the highest preference vote on the U.P.F.A. list, but no other Tamil

candidate on the U.P.F.A list came close to the winning. It is the belief of the voters in the Batticaloa district, that the alleged vote in favour of the former Chief Minister was manipulated to ensure his victory, and also show that at least one Tamil member was elected on the U.P.F.A ticket. The repeal of the 17th Amendment to the Constitution facilitated this fraudulent process. As a party that strongly opposed the repeal of the 17th Amendment we consider it our duty to point out that such malpractices will continue at future elections.

The I.T.A.K. will take steps to facilitate the eleven members elected to the Eastern Provincial Council from the I.T.A.K. to function as an effective unit in the Provincial Council.

We have already made public and brought to the notice of the President, the harassment meted out to members elected through the I.T.A.K., by forces linked to the Government, to cross over and join the U.P.F.A. The I.T.A.K. looks forward to firm action by the Government to bring such harassment to an end.

R.Sampanthan,
President,
I.T.A.K

Parliamentary Group Leader,
Tamil National Alliance (T.N.A.)


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EPC puts off debate on controversial ‘land grab’ bill

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 14 February 2012, 01:37 GMT]
The Eastern Provincial Council (EPC) on Monday put off the debate on the proposed "Town and Country Planning Ordinance Amendment" till February 28 as majority members of the opposition raised objection to the amendment bill. This controversial amendment allows the central government to acquire any land for ‘development’ and ‘religious purposes’ without the consent of the provincial council.

The amendment has been placed before the provincial councils to obtain their approval before tabling it in parliament on a directive by the SL Supreme Court before determine its constitutionality.

The SL Supreme Court is of opinion that powers regarding land are devolved to provincial council. Hence the consent of the provincial council is needed before tabling any amendment to parliament regarding land matters.

EPC needs land powers to preserve traditional Tamil homeland: R. Thurairatnam

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 January 2012, 13:06 GMT]
Land powers should be provided to Eastern Provincial Council in order to safeguard the traditional homeland of Tamil speaking people from being plundered by the Colombo government under the pretext of setting up army cantonments and implementing tourist and various corporate projects, councilor of the EPC from Batticaloa district R.Thurairatnam, has said. Two third of the so-called state lands in the eastern province come under the centralized authority of the Colombo. The existing powers on lands are not enough no stop plundering lands in the Eastern province by the central authority, Mr. Thurairatnam, said bringing a motion introduced by him in the council meeting on the land issue.

Thurairatnam added that the central government has been setting up military camps in the lands that belong to Tamil speaking people, handing over lands to tourist projects, to the Forest Department and Mahaweli Development Authority without referring the matter to the provincial authorities and without obtaining their consent. The legal and illegal acquisition of lands belonging to minority communities are being carried out in the province during the conflict and after.

He stressed that this type of activity carried out by the Colombo government would not help to bring reconciliation between communities at any time.

Illegal acquisition of lands of Tamil speaking people is being carried out by Colombo government with a covert plan to make the Tamil speaking people into a minority in the province forever.

Colombo government is continuously authorizing the acquisition of lands in the East, leaving the District Secretariats, Divisional Secretariats and provincial land authority in dark.

He said provincial council should be conferred with full powers of lands to put a full stop to the illegal acquisition of lands in the East and that the EPC administration should demand the central government that land powers should be handed over to it.

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.