Tamil absent in tsunami relief forms sent to Jaffna

[TamilNet, Monday, 24 January 2005, 12:30 GMT]
The tsunami affected people along the Jaffna coastline have been forced to search for translators to fill the form issued by the Sri Lankan Social Services Department, said sources in Vadamadchi. Although the entire population along this coastline is Tamil speaking, the forms sent by the ministry to collect information about the tsunami affected people are in Sinhala and English only.

The affected people are being told that they will receive relief only if they hand over the completed forms.

People are distressed because they cannot read the contents of the forms.

The civil organizations and fishermen societies in Vadamaradchy in Jaffna have charged that the ministry deliberately sent forms in Sinhala and English only, to areas that are 100% populated by Tamils.

They have requested that Tamil language forms be sent to these areas.