SLA disallows resettlement close to HSZ

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 23 September 2003, 10:53 GMT]
The Jaffna regional office of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) of Sri Lanka informed its headquarters in Colombo that the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities are not in a position to allow internally displaced families to resettle in their own lands which are close to the High Security Zones (HSZ) in the Valigamam north of the Jaffna district, authoritative sources said.

The villages Punnalaikadduvan north, Kuppilan, Kadduwan, Tellipalai, Valalai, Thampalai, Idaikadu are located close to the forward defense lines of the SLA in Valigamam north division.

Officials of the HRC in Jaffna region sent their report to Colombo headquarters after visiting the said villages where resettlement is not allowed because of the close proximity to HSZ forward defense line, sources said.

The SLA has refused to accede to a request to allow the IDPs to resettle in lands, which are located within six hundred meters from its FDL defense, Jaffna regional HRC said in its report, sources said.

HRC Jaffna regional office conducted this survey in the HSZ in Jaffna district in collaboration with the UNHCR regarding problems confronting the IDPs.

Meanwhile the SLA has asked the IDP families who have gone back to their lands 600 meters away from the FDL of SLA in these areas to stop paddy cultivation at the end of this year, civil right groups said.