HRC holds inquiry into IDP's complaint

[TamilNet, Monday, 03 November 2003, 19:29 GMT]
A team of the Human Rights Commission of Sri Lanka (HRC) Monday visited the Kuppilan village in the Valigamam north division in Jaffna district and conducted an inquiry into the complaint made by the head of an internally displaced family that he had been refused permission by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to resettle in his house which is located six hundred meters outside the boundary of the high security zone, HRC sources said.

SLA officials of the army camp which is located in the area had told HRC team when queried that they could allow the IDP family to resettle in their house if the chief occupant obtained permission from Jaffna SLA high command submitting written application with the recommendation of the Valigamam north Divisional Secretary, HRC sources said.

The Sri Lanka Army is still refusing permission to the IDP families to resettle in their houses located inside the high security zones and outside the HSZ in the north of Jaffna district, civil sources said.

The SLA has warned IDP farmers to leave their paddy lands by the end of this year if they have already cultivated crops in areas Kadduwan, Kuppilan, Punnalaikadduvan and other border villages of the HSZ, civil sources said.