Moothoor HSZ racially discriminates, denies birthright of Tamils- Sampanthan

[TamilNet, Saturday, 23 June 2007, 18:24 GMT]
Rajavarothayam Sampanthan, Parliamentary Group Leader and Member of Parliament of Tamil National Alliance (TNA) in a speech delivered to the Sri Lanka parliament on 20th June during an adjournment motion related to the Sri Lanka Government's new regulations to establish a High Security Zone (HSZ) in Moothoor East-Champoor areas of the East said that the regulations are "a blatant violation of the fundamental human rights of the Tamil people," and denies "their fundamental right to resettle on the lands owned and possessed by them," and urged Colombo to "take steps to rescind the said regulations."

Full text of Sampanthan's speech

Sri Lanka's President has under Section 5 of the Public Security Ordinance promulgated certain regulations cited as the Emergency ( Moothoor – (East ) /Champoor High Security Zone ) Regulations No. 2 of 2007 which.declares Moothoorr East – Champoor as a High Security Zone.

Mr Sampanthan said the regulations "constitute a blatant violation of the fundamental human rights of the Tamil people, who have historically inhabited these areas, and are deliberately discriminatory against them on grounds of race."

He added that the "implementation of the said regulations could result in several thousands of Tamil families, who have been historical inhabitants of several ancient Tamil villages in the said areas, and who were displaced by the indiscriminate aerial bombardment and multi barrel rocket launcher fire in the course of military operations conducted in the said areas, by the Sri Lankan State, being denied their fundamental right to resttle on the lands owned and possessed by them in such villages."



The local residents are "being denied their right to carry on their livelihood in the said villages, and persue their economic social and cultural aspirations in the said villages. This is their birthright and cannot be denied to them," Sampanthan said.

He said that the action will "inflict immeasurable and irreparable harm to the lives of these thousands of Tamil families and their descendants," called upon the Sri Lanka Government to "refrain from taking any steps to implement the said regulations, and to take steps to rescind the said regulations."

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