Plans afoot to “Sinhalacise” Tamil border villages in east, says MP

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 28 June 2011, 09:58 GMT]
Of 310 families which fled from their homes only 70 have returned to the village Poochchikoodu located in Raanamadu GS division in Batticaloa district, according to Batticaloa TNA parliamentarian P. Selvarasa. Authorities in Colombo are ignoring resettlement of Tamil families with a sinister motive to “Sinhalacise” border Tamil villages, Selvarasa alleged.

Officials in Colombo have failed to resettle the displaced Tamil families from border Tamil villages along the Batticaloa –Ampaarai districts who were displaced due to ethnic riot in 1990 and in 2006 by military operations by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA).

Poochchikoodu village, earlier under the Batticaloa administrative division, has now been brought under the administration of the Uhana Divisional Secretariat that is located in Sinhala dominated Ampaarai district. This transfer is considered as a start to Sinhalacise the Tamil border villages, Mr.Selvarasa said.

Poochchikoodu is not provided with basic facilities such as electricity, pipe borne water, hospital and proper transport. However, Sinhala villages that are located one km away from it has been provided with all such facilities.

Only 11 students study in Poochchikoodu School that conducts classes from Grade 1 to Grade 5 with great difficulties manned by principal and two teachers.

Parliamentarian Selvarasa expressed deep concern that government officials and non-governmental organizations have failed to know such a Tamil village exist in the district.

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