IDPs under pressure to vacate Point-Pedro refugee camp

[TamilNet, Sunday, 21 March 2004, 01:41 GMT]
Internally Displaced families (IDPs) from Nagar Kovil area in Vadamaradchy East, temporarily living in a refugee camp located in Thumpalai, Point Pedro, near the Lourdes Virgin Mary Church, are said to be pressured to vacate the premises by people claiming to be Church Administrators, local media reports said.

Affected refugees have reportedly responded saying they are tired of being displaced several times and that until they are allowed to resettle in their own homes in Nagar Kovil they will not be moving from their temporary shelter.

The refugee families added that they will take appropriate action if they are inhumanely forced to leave in violation of their basic rights.

Several thousands of IDPs are languishing in different refugee camps in Jaffna district unable to resettle in their own homes located near or inside the High Security Zones (HSZs) demarkated by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA).