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Sinhalasation of the East under the “dawn of the East” scheme

Right to Life in their own habitats is a fundamental right of every civilian. This very fundamental right is being denied to the Tamil people in Sri Lanka. The Government of Sri Lanka has been violating the Universal Declaration of Human Rights by denying civilians access to their own habitats.

Armed Forces of the Government of Sri Lanka which are occupying many predominantly Tamils areas in the districts of Trincomalee and Batticaloa has been trying again to settle Sinhalese population there.

Already Muthur east and Sampur areas comprising 28 villages of 12 Grama Sevaka Divisions which belong to Tamils and Muslims are designated as “High Security Zones (HSZ)” and access to these areas were denied to the owners of the land, the people, by the government. Civilians of these areas are unable to return to their homes and are languishing in crowded welfare centers without basic facilities.

In Kinniya area in Trincomalee, the government has restricted the land provision to the Tamils. A Murugan temple in Ilankaithuraimukam in Trincomalee was destroyed by the armed forces and a Buddhist temple had been built up in the same place. There are many newly built Buddha statues in Muslim and Tamil areas in the east.

Attempts are now being made to settle Sinhalese families of war affected soldiers in Muthalikulam (Morawewa), which is historically a Tamil village. Likewise, the Government and its armed forces are trying to settle Sinhalese population in many other Tamil villages including Thennaimaravadi near Pulmoddai, Vaharai areas, and Sundayaru in Kantalai all in the Trincomalee district.

The Sinhalasation of Tamil villages began in 1948 when Sinhalese were settled in predominantly Tamil villages under the Mahaweli development scheme by the former Prime Minister Dudley Senanayake and it is continuing to this date.

29 August 2007

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