SLA soldiers obstruct ITAK candidate from campaigning in Ki'linochchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 12 March 2010, 16:00 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers manning the check posts along the roads do not allow him to go the places where Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) are resettled in Ki'linochchi district, Sivagnanam Sritharan, the candidate contesting Ki'linochchi district in Ilangkai Thamizh Arasuk Kadchi (ITAK) ticket and the principal of Ki'linochchi Maha Viththiyaalayam said, in the press meet held Friday at the ITAK office on Martin Road in Jaffna where the ITAK election manifesto was released. He was forced by the soldiers to reveal the names of the persons he wants to meet and as this would put them in danger he had not given their names, Sritharan said.

This obstruction by the SLA soldiers has prevented ITAK from engaging in election campaign in Ki'linochchi district, he added.

Meanwhile, Ki'linochchi Government Agent, Ms. Ketheeswaran has refuted the statement made by Sri Lanka government that the IDPs have been allowed to resettle in the entire Ki'linochchi district.

In reality, only Poonakari which is one third of the entire Kilinochchi district has been fully resettled while the rest which consists of 51 Village Officers divisions in Karachchi, Ka'ndaava'lai and Pachchilaippa'l'li have not been resettled yet, she said.

It is understood that the SLA authorities who do not allow resettlement in Ki'linochchi town have decided to allow resettlement west of the town in the future.