SLA embargo burdens Thirukovil residents

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 October 2006, 12:28 GMT]
People's representatives of Thirukovil region in Amparai district highlighted the hardships caused by travel restrictions and material embargo imposed by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA), to Mr. Herath Abeyaweera, Government Agent (GA) Amparai district, at the Thirukovil Regional Secretariat Thurday 9:00 a.m., Thirukovil Secretariat sources said. The Special Task Force (STF) soldiers of the SLA have blocked medicines, fuel, fertilizer and materials essential for cultivation and building construction to be taken into Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) controlled areas.

The GA's meeting with the people's representatives was attended by the Thirukovil STF Officer-in Charge, Rural Development Society members, Grama Sevakas, NGO representatives and prominent members of Thirukovil society.

Representatives of the NGOs told the GA that construction projects for war and tsunami affected people are affected because cement, iron rods and other essential building materials cannot be taken to places where the building projects are located.

STF has refused to allow the Thirukovil bus depot administration to run a service to the LTTE controlled areas, the people's representatives complained.

Further, the GA declined to allow the families who wanted to use part of the 30,000 rupees given by World Bank assisted North East Irrigation and Agriculture Project (NIAP) for rehabilitation to be used in setting up small shops in the LTTE area and to take commodities from the SLA controlled areas for sale in their shops.

The GA told the participants that permissions has to be obtained from the STF or the Police by residents travelling into the LTTE controlled area.

This was the first official visit to the Thirukovil by the GA after the tsunami disaster in December 2004. The GA came with a large contingent of security escorts, sources said.