Trincomalee resettlement problems spotlighted

[TamilNet, Saturday, 12 July 2003, 00:23 GMT]
The delay in demining abandoned villages and resettling the landless among internally displaced families in the Trincomalee district were spotlighted at a meeting of the Eastern Forum of the Consortium of Humanitarian Agencies held in Trincomalee Thursday, sources said.

The EFCHA meeting was held at the Human Development Training Centre of the Provincial Ministry of Education at Thulasipuram in Trincomalee. Several representatives from international and national non-governmental organizations participated at the meeting.

Co-chairing the meeting, the Chairman of the Trincomalee District NGO's Consortium, Mr.T.Thavasilingam, submitted a report regarding the ground situation in Trincomalee district.

He said in his report, "The de-mining process is to be expedited to facilitate resettlement and to reactivate the economic activities like farming in paddy fields and coastal settlement for fishermen. A Danish de-mining team has been given the task of de-mining abandoned villages in the Trincomalee district. But their action is slow as their equipment is still held up with Customs Department for want of clearance for more than three months. Priority may be given by authorities to release the equipment in order to expedite the de-mining process in Trincomalee district."

" Landless families among internally displaced cause a problem for proper resettlement. Hence the government authorities can identify the available lands to resettle the IDPs early. This category would include the new families grouped as a result of marriages during the displaced period," said Mr.Thavasilingam in his report.

Trincomalee Divisional Secretary, Mr.S. Arumainayagam, said that seventy internally displaced families have come forward to resettle in their own village in Vilankulam. They are unable to move into the abandoned village, as it is not yet certified as free from land mines. “Hence we are unable to undertake the resettlement project in this village," said Mr. Arumainayagam.

Trincomalee team leader of the Integrated Food Security Programme of the German GTZ organization co-chaired the meeting.

Provincial Rehabilitation, Reconstruction and Social Welfare Secretary Mr.S.Sivathasan, Assistant Government Agent Mr.N.Singarayaer and several others also spoke.


(L-R) Mr. Sivathasan, Mr. Singarayar, Mr. Thavasilingam and Dr. Dedo Geinitz