IDPs to be held in the islets of Jaffna for indefinite period

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 29 September 2009, 11:24 GMT]
Around 3,000 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), originally from the islets of Jaffna held in the internment camps in Vavuniyaa and brought to the islets of Jaffna recently will be continued to be held in detention camps under the control of Sri Lanka Navy, Jaffna Government Agent, K. Ganesh said. The IDPs will be allowed to go their residences only if Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities issue the necessary clearance to them, he said.

Of the 6,000 IDPs from the islets of Jaffna 3,000 have been brought to Jaffna and the rest 3,000 too would be brought to the islets of Jaffna soon, he further said.

672 IDPs brought from Vavuniyaa Monday were handed to SLN in the islets of Jaffna.

IDPs from the other parts of Jaffna district now held in Vavuniyaa will be brought to Jaffna later and held in detainment camps.

They will be allowed to go to their homes if SLA issues them the necessary clearance, the GA said.

Meanwhile, SLA officially handed over 53 Jaffna University students held in the camps in Kaithadi and Mirusuvil to the Vice-chancellor (VC) of Jaffna University, Monay.

On an earlier instance a batch of undergrads detained in the above camps were handed over to the VC, sources in Jaffna said.