SLA in Jaffna refuses entry to 1500 Vanni IDPs

[TamilNet, Monday, 23 November 2009, 07:29 GMT]
1500 Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from Vavuniyaa camps brought to Jaffna Friday claiming that they are from Jaffna peninsula are now being held in the abandoned Raamaavil camp in Kodikaamam as Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities in Jaffna refuse them permission to be settled in Jaffna. Most of these IDPs are not from Jaffna but residents of Mullaiththeevu and Ki’linochchi districts in Vanni and it appears that they will be held permanently in Raamaavil camp, Thenmaraadchi Divisional Secretariat sources said.

Meanwhile, Jaffna Government Agent had recently said that all Jaffna IDPs held in Vavuniyaa camps have been brought to Jaffna.

Some of the IDPs brought to Jaffna have been handed over to their relatives while the others are continued to be held in interim camps in the islets of Jaffna and Vadamaraadchi East.

The camp in Raamaavil had been vacated of all its inmates and the IDPs brought Friday are being held in the abandoned sheds.