MPs, NGOs urge lifting of Batticaloa embargo

[TamilNet, Monday, 26 June 2006, 15:52 GMT]
Batticaloa parliamentarians P Ariyanenthiran, S Jeyananthamoorthy and Ms T Thangeswari, North East Community Restoration and Development Project (NECORD) implementing officer K Sivanantharaja, and other NGOs,Monday at 9:30 a.m., met the Batticaloa's military-civil coordinating officer Maj. Gen. Wetty Perera at a conferenceed by Batticaloa Government agent S Punniyamoorthy held in the Batticaloa Kachcheri, to appeal against the military-imposed economic restrictions in the region.

The burdens caused by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) restriction on transport of building materials and the taking of all types of vehicles to non-military controlled areas in Batticaloa, were taken up at the meeting.

The NGO delegation complained to Maj.Gen.Perera, that the military has placed severe limitations for the transport of cement and wire fences to build permanent homes, for tsunami affected residents in LTTE controlled Vaharai region. For building hundreds of homes for the tsunami affected coastal villagers, the military only permits 50 bags of cement which is not enough to build even a couple of homes, charged the delegation.

Jeyananthamoorthy told the conference that the SLA restrictions have also triggered a dangerous price hike in the region and the building of tsunami homes have been further hampered.

The parliamentarian demanded the Major General to lift the economic blockade on the area. Maj. Gen. Wetty Perera told the delegates that he will inform the defence ministry in Colombo and the matter will be taken up at the government's security related meeting on Friday.