SLA harass relatives, friends visiting resettled IDPs in Ki’linochchi

[TamilNet, Friday, 22 January 2010, 05:41 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers restrict and harass the relatives and friends of the small number of Vanni Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) allowed to resettle in Ki’linochchi, the IDPs said. SLA soldiers inspect the National Identity Cards of the relatives and friends of the IDPs visiting them besides registering their particulars. Meanwhile, the soldiers subject the IDPs to severe interrogation after the visitors had left and these harassments have made the IDPs to request their relatives and friends not to visit them.

With only a small number of Vanni IDPs allowed to resettle in Vanni on the west side of A9 road in Ki’linochchi, the majority of them have sought refuge with their relatives and friends in Vavuniyaa and Jaffna.

The IDPs staying with their relatives and friends in Vavuniyaa and Jaffna are the persons who visited the IDPs resettled in Ki’linochchi.

The resettled IDPs discourage their relatives and friends visiting them because of the harassment by SLA soldiers.