Thennamaravadi residents to vote after 17 years

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 30 March 2004, 03:10 GMT]
Nearly six hundred displaced voters of Thennamaravadi, a traditional Tamil village on the northern border of the Trincomalee district located about 73 km from the east port town wiil be voting for the first time after they fled from the village in 1987 due to military operation by the Sri Lanka Army, civil sources said.

Mr.Sampanthan addressing Ponnagar meeting

All Tamil families fled the village on 1st December 1987 when a group of soldiers of the Sri Lanka Army entered the Thennamaravadi village, destroyed many properties and killed several villagers.

Most of the displaced villagers reached Mulliayawallai village in the Mullaitivu district in the LTTE held Vanni region by foot carrying whatever belongings they could carry. In Mullaitivu they established a temporary settlement and named it Ponnagar.

Some other IDPs of Thennamaravadi have been staying in refugee camps in the Trincomalee district and elsewhere.

Last week the Tamil National Alliance leader and the lead candidate contesting the Trincomalee district Mr.R.Sampanthan paid a visit to Ponnagar in Mulliayawallai where Thennamaravadi IDPs are living.

Other TNA candidates also joined Mr.Sampanthan in the visit.

Mr.Sampanthan addressed a meeting largely attended by IDPs and some LTTE activists.

The IDPs expressed their desire to resettle in Thennamaravadi village, which is now in a ruined state without a single dwelling.

Thennamaravadi, once flourished with paddy and animal husbandry is now waiting for the return of the IDPs to rebuild it, civil sources said.

A section of Thennamaravadi IDPs in Ponnagar

a section of Thennamaravaddy IDPs attended the meeting held by Mr.Sampanthan

Meanwhile action has been taken to bring down Thennamaravadi voters to Trincomalee enabling them to exercise their votes at a polling station which is to be located at Thiriyai, a village located about 32 km off north of Trincomalee town.

Tamils of Thiriyai are also to exercise their franchise in their own soil in the forthcoming general election after more than a decade, sources said.



A group of Thennamaravadi IDPs now living in Ponnagar in Mulliayawallai is seen with Mr.Sampanthan, Mr.K.Thurairatnasingham, former parliamentarians of the TNA during their visit to Ponnagar