Jaffna residents to protest against visits by ministers, diplomats

[TamilNet, Friday, 31 January 2003, 01:18 GMT]
The Vadamarachchi Peoples Forum (VPF) Thursday said in a statement that it would show its opposition to the visit of ministers, opposition leaders and foreign diplomats to Vadamarachchi as the authorities have failed to provide basic facilities and haven't addressed problems confronting the resettled the people in the area although one year has passed after the signing of a ceasefire agreement between the Government of Sri Lanka (GOSL) and the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), sources said.

Meanwhile, the Jaffna District Peoples Forum (JDPF) Thursday appealed to the people to come forward to organize a peaceful demonstration against the visit of Rehabilitation, Reconstruction Minister Dr.Jayalath Jayawardene Friday to Jaffna, sources said.

Minister Jayalath Jayawardene is scheduled to attend a conference at Jaffna Secretariat at Friday 3.30 p.m., sources said.

According to JDPF sources members of public will assemble in front of the Jaffna Secretariat with black bands tied in their hands when Minister Jayalath Jayawardene arrives at Jaffna secretariat Friday afternoon.

The Vadamarachchi Peoples Forum in its statement Thursday signed by its secretary Mr.S.Sevanthinathar listed following issues that require urgent action:

• The State armed forces still occupy residential places and agricultural lands of displaced people in the name of high security zones. They should quit our lands and homes.
• Armed forces should vacate houses and other public buildings in areas, which are not declared as high security zones.
• State armed forces should take steps to remove landmines and other explosives from our paddy fields and also remove security bunds from our lands.
• All Tamil youths detained at Kalutara prisons without any indictments against them should be released without delay.
• A solution should be found to the question of several hundred disappeared persons in Jaffna after the arrest by the State armed forces, which followed the capture of Jaffna peninsula.
• To facilitate the resettlement of the displaced in Vadamarachchi east the Point Pedro-Maruthankerni road should be re-opened