Kuchaveli villagers under paramilitary threat- TNA

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 31 October 2006, 12:38 GMT]
Many residents from villages in Kuchavel Pradeshya Sabha division, who have been returning to resettle after being displaced before 2002, are again fleeing the villages due to threat from paramilitary cadres, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentary group leader, Mr Sampanthan complaiend in a letter sent to Sri Lanka's President, Mahinda Rajapakse, Tuesday.

Full text of the letter follows:

31 October 2006

H. E. Mahinda Rajapakse,
The President of the Democratic Socialist
Republic of Sri Lanka,
Temple Trees,
Colombo.

Your Excellency,

THE CONTINUING VIOLENCE IN TRINCOMALEE DISTRICT

The villages in the Kuchchaveli DS division, which is situated to the North of Trincomalee town, had been completely destroyed due to the military operations prior to the signing of the Ceasefire Agreement (CFA) in 2002. Many of the villagers were killed, whilst many hundreds were injured and had gone missing during the military operations. All buildings, including houses, schools, government buildings and Kovils had been completely destroyed. As a result the people of the area were displaced. After the signing of the CFA, these villagers began to resettle without any assistance being provided from the Government and entirely using their own resources.

Recently there have been several incidents taking place that have once again begun to force the villagers to flee.

• 22/10/06 – In the Thiriyai village, Mr. Sundaralingam Selvakumar (24 years old) and Mr. Raju Sasikumar (25 years old) have gone missing;
• 23/10/06 – In the Kattukulam village, Mr. Kandiah Pakenthiran (40 years old) had been abducted from his home;
• 23/10/06 – In the Kallampaththai village, Mr. Krishnapillai Selvanayagam (58 years old) and Mr. Ramasamy Vellayutham (59 years old) both of whom were fishmongers disappeared whilst on business.

Further, the villagers have been threatened several times by Paramilitary operatives traveling in un-marked white vans.

Then, in the Trincomalee town area:

• 22/10/06 – Mr. Konamalai Sathiyaraj and Mr. Rasamanikkam Selvarajah were abducted;
• 23/10/06 – Mr. Jebaratnam Jesudasan and another person who accompanied him have been shot dead;
• 26/10/06 – Mr. Balendran Yogan and another person who accompanied him have been shot dead.

In addition there have been very regular and widespread incidents where armed gangs have been carrying out robberies, and children being forcibly taken away.

Further, in the Southern part of the Trincomalee District, in Muthur South,

• 23/10/06 Mr. Nadarajah Indiran of Thanganagar, Killiveddy was shot dead;
• 28/10/06 – Mr.Nallaiyah Ravikumar, who is a father of 5 was killed in Mallikaithivu near the Army camp;
• 30/10/06 – Mr. Kopalasundaram Pathmakalapan from Lingapuram village, who is the TNA member of the Seruwila Pradesiya Sabha, was shot dead within very close proximity of the Serunuwara Police Station.

Consequent to all these incidents, the villagers fear for their lives and have begun to flee. These are people who had already been displaced as a consequence of the war, and had only since the CFA returned to their villages. They have done so using their own savings and resources. We bring these to your attention, as it will be unconscionable to have them suffer the immense trauma of being displaced once again.

Yours sincerely

R. SAMPANTHAN M.P.
Trincomalee Electoral District