Sinhalese colonization of Tamil village in Eastern Province

[TamilNet, Sunday, 03 May 2009, 04:37 GMT]
Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Eastern Province parliamentarians accused the government of colonizing traditional Tamil villages in the border area between the districts of Batticaloa and Ampaa’rai districts with Sinhalese families, sources in Batticaloa said. Encroachment by Sinhalese families of paddy fields of Tamils in Keviliyaamadu village in Paddippazhai Divisional Secretariat in Batticaloa district takes place with government assistance, they further said.

106 Tamil families of Keviliyaamadu were forced to displace due to the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) offensive on the village in 1990.

Many of these people are staying with their relatives in Ka’luvaangnchchikkudi area.

Agriculture, fishing, cattle raising and cheanai cultivation were the traditional means of livelihoods of the residents of Keviliyaamadu and now these people want to get back to their original residences and lands.

But, Sinhalese farmers have encroached and cultivated some of the paddy fields in Keviliayamadu with the help of government assisted organizations.

To facilitate changing this traditional Tamil village into a Sinhalese settlement Keviliyaamadu Village Officer Division is temporarily brought under Uka’nai Divisional Secretariat.

The residents of Keviliyaamadu have appealed to the Tamil parliamentarians to make their village a part of Paddippazhai Divisional Secretariat.

Eastern province TNA parliamentarians have requested the government to stop the encroachments and to construct permanent houses so that the original Tamil residents could be resettled in Keviliyaamadu.

They also have requested for compensation and job opportunities for the displaced.

TNA parliamentarians accuse the government of colonizing traditional Tamil areas on the borders of Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts with Sinhalese.

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