2ND LEAD

Plans afoot to Sinhalicise Paasikkudaa

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 23 June 2010, 04:23 GMT]
Sri Lankan Economic Development Minister Basil Rajapaksa Tuesday paid an official visit to Paasikkudaa in Batticaloa district and laid the foundation stone for a tourist complex. The tourist complex is viewed as another step to settle yet more Sinhalese in the traditional Tamil areas of Batticaloa district, by the local residents.

Paasikkudaa tourist resort was completely destroyed in 2004 tsunami which killed nearly 300 persons.

The residents of Paasikkudaa moved to Paddiyadichcheanai but had to return to Passdikkudaa as they were not able find any means of livelihood.

Meanwhile, ruling United Peoples Freedom Alliance (UPFA) ministers had frequently visited Batticaloa district under the pretext of development and had briefed the local SLA officials about their plans of colonizing the areas with Sinhalese in the lands owned by Tamils.

The residents of the area said that they are more affected by the SLA operations than they had been by tsunami.

They further said that SLA officials, without the knowledge of local government officials, had brought Sinhalese fishermen and settled them in the coastal areas of Batticaloa which were the traditional fishing areas of the Tamils.

Eastern Provincial Council Chief Minister Sivanesathurai Chandrakanthan and Tourist Board officials also participated in the event which was heavily guarded by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers.

Chronology:


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