Magistrate orders India returnees to be resettled

[TamilNet, Friday, 20 December 2002, 17:45 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) arrested seventeen Sri Lankan Tamil refugees Thursday evening in the Talaimannar Sea when they were returning from South India and handed them over to the Mannar Police Friday. When Talaimannar Police produced the refugees before the Mannar Magistrate Mr.M.P.Mohideen later Friday, the magistrate ordered the authorities concerned to resettle the refugees in their villages, legal sources said.

Magistrate also told the authorities to report to him on the progress on January 31.

Some of the refugees said they were returning from South India to resettle in their village as they heard that normalcy has returned in the country.

One of the refugee said they left their birthplace and sought asylum in South India due to military operation of the Sri Lanka Army. They lost every thing in the war and now have returned as paupers expecting assistance from the State for resettlement, sources said.