Stop SLA troopers looting IDPs' houses, urge Batticaloa MPs

[TamilNet, Thursday, 29 March 2007, 09:25 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troopers are breaking into houses of IDPs from Paduvankarai in Battialaoa district west displaced by SLA offensives, and robbing the belongings, said Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Batticaloa district parliamentarians, in a letter to the President of Sri Lanka, Wednesday evening, urging him to take necessary action to stop the practice.

Batticaloa district TNA parliamentarians, P. Ariyanenthiran, Ms. K. Thankeswary, S. Jeyanandamoorthy, and T. Kanagasabai are the signatories of the letter.

Excerpts of the letter follow:

More than 163,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), displaced due to continuous SLA artillery and Multi Barrel Rocket Launcher fire, have sought refuge in Government controlled areas in 11 Regional divisions and are lodged in 93 refugee camps as well as in the houses of their relatives and friends.

The houses of these IDPs and temples in their areas are being broken into and robbed by SLA troopers. The robbed properties are being taken away by the SLA troopers in lorries and tractors.

Houses in Kannankuda, Mandapathady and Kurinchamunai areas were robbed on 27 Tuesday and the Kannakuda Hindu temple were looted on 28th Wednesday, according to complaints made to us by the IDPs.

Houses in Vakarai, Eechanthivu, Navatkadu and Monekeykattu too have met the same fate.

SLA has said that action will be taken to return the properties taken away by them.

Copies of the letter have been sent to Batticaloa district Inspector General of Police and Batticaloa district Government Agent.

Chronology: