SLA, police chase away Tamil families from their lands in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Thursday, 11 November 2010, 12:15 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and policemen chased away hundreds of men and women uprooted from their housing scheme in Naavatkuzhi in Jaffna when they tried to erect sheds in their lands Thursday morning, sources in Jaffna said. These Tamil families had been living in this housing scheme since 1992 until they were uprooted in the SLA offensives. Meanwhile, the number of Sinhala families from South brought to this area Tuesday night has risen to 70 while more Sinhala families continue to arrive with building materials and action is taken to distribute them the unoccupied houses in 300 Housing Scheme in Naavatkuzhi, the sources added. The Tamil families fearing that their lands being encroached by the invading Sinhala families had tried to establish themselves in their lands Thursday morning.



Being chased away they complained at the local SLA camp but the officers there too had threatened them that they may have to open fire if they do not vacate at once, the Tamil families said.

The above Tamil families uprooted during war had earlier appealed to the government officials in Jaffna to allow them to resettle in their own places but had not been permitted to do so.

Hence they were forced to seek shelter with relatives and friends nearby. Three or four families had to share a single house.

Meanwhile, Sri Lanka Minister of National Housing, Wimal Weerwansa is said to be the person behind this colonization of Sinhala families in the North in lands claimed to be the property of National Housing Authority, the sources added.

The said lands are being allocated to Sinhala families since Thursday morning while the rightful owners are driven away.



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