IDPs cannot be resettled against their wishes - TNA

[TamilNet, Sunday, 17 September 2006, 13:01 GMT]
Internally displaced people (IDP) should not resettled in the government controlled territory against their wishes and to do so would be violating their human rights, stated P.Ariyaneththran, Batticaloa district Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian at a conference held Saturday morning in the Batticaloa district secretariat which discussed the urgent need of providing relief assistance to those families who fled from the government controlled area and sought refuge Vaharai division in Batticaloa district.



Mr.Ariyaneththran said so in reply to the statement by S.S. Amir Ali, Minister for Disaster relief Services and the Chairman of the District Development Committee that relief assistance could be given to those IDPs on condition that they should resettle in government held territory.

Mr.Ameer Ali further said the question of transporting food to the SLA controlled areas should be taken up with the Defence Ministry as it has imposed the ban on transportation

Ariyaneththran wanted responsible statement from the government authority concerned regarding the distribution of relief assistance to the IDPs who have been displaced from their homes and residing elsewhere.

The conference was told of the immense suffering by the displaced people without enough drinking water, health facilities and disruption of education facility to the displaced students. S.Thayaparan, Assistant Commissioner of the Local Government Department said he could send six bowsers of water daily if adequate fuel is supplied.

Kalkudah Zonal Director of Education U. L. Jainudeen informed that there have been about 7000 students among the displaced in Vaharai and it has been decided to reopen all schools from Monday. He added that there is an acute shortage of teachers but arrangements have been made to deploy displaced teachers from Trincomalee to Batticaloa to serve in the Vaharai schools. The UNICEF has offered free transport to them, he added.

Maxie Proctor, Senior Police Superintendent of the Batticaloa District said his department is not directly responsible for the ban on goods being taken to them. He added that they have been only act on the orders issued by the higher authorities.

At the conclusion of the discussion it was decided that parliamentarians of the district along with Minister Mr.Ameer Ali to meet the Prime Minister and Defence Ministry Secretary on September 28 in the parliamentary complex and discuss about the removal of ban on transporting food and other essential items to IDPs.

TNA parliamentarians T.Kanagasabai, K. Thangeswari, Additional Government Agent K. Mahesan, officials and representatives of the of the various departments in the Batticaloa district and the Officer-in Charge of the Aariampathy Special Task Force participated in the discussion.