TNA urges Tamils to protest against Moothoor HSZ

[TamilNet, Sunday, 22 July 2007, 14:19 GMT]
The Sri Lanka government's attempt to develop the region after evicting the residents from their ancestral homes by sustained bombing needs to be unequivocally condemned, said Tamil National Alliance (TNA), in a media release Saturday. The TNA appealed to Tamil speaking people in the East and North of Sri Lanka and the expatriate Tamils to condemn GoSL for declaring Moothoor east as a High Security Zone (HSZ), and to draw the attention of the International Community to the violation of human rights.



The translation of the TNA media release follows:

We urge the Tamil speaking people and our fraternity in the northern and eastern provinces of Sri Lanka and expatriate Tamils to keep off from work and observe shut down Wednesday July 25, showing protest against Sri Lanka government's violation of human rights in proclaiming Moothoor east as a High Security Zone.

Following the bomb blast in Colombo on 25 April, Sri Lanka government started indiscriminate aerial bombings, multi barrel rocket fire on the Tamils, living in Moothoor east, killing hundreds and injuring thousands of innocent. The victims had to flee their residences; their houses and properties were looted while their schools, temples, public buildings and live stocks were damaged, destroying the education, economy and normalcy of life.

More than 16000 Tamils belonging to nearly 4500 families have been living in about 28 villages in Moothoor east. There were 19 schools, more than 25 places of worship and many public buildings in this region. Besides, it was a fertile area consisting of 88 minor irrigation tanks, acres of rich rice fields and vegetable cultivations.

When tsunami took its toll in Moothoor east, Non-governmental Organizations spent millions of rupees providing housing schemes to the people of Moothoor east.

People of Moothoor east, driven away from their ancestral homeland, are now languishing in refugee camps in Batticaloa district and at Moothoor and Ki'liveddi, even falling victims to forced disappearances and killings.

Sri Lanka government did not waste time in relocating the people displaced from Moothoor and Searuvila. But even after one year, the people displaced from Moothoor east are left uncared for without any constructive measures taken by the government. Further, the government has declared Moothoor east as a High Security Zone (HSZ) preventing the people returning to their traditional homeland. It is unconscionable on the part of the government to drive away the people of a region first and then attempt to engage in developing that area.

We plead to all Tamils to organize peaceful demonstrations condemning this violation of human rights and to convey their protest to the Government of Sri Lanka and the International Community.

We wish to express our sincere gratitude to all you for offering your unstinting support in the past.

Tamil National Alliance