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Obligations ignored and restriction enforced

The restrictions enforced for the seas off Jaffna peninsula and for the eastern seas have now been extended to the western seas as well. From the western tip of Jaffna for 12 nautical miles into sea and westwards up to Puttalam has been declared as no go zone.

Fishermen cannot fish in these deep seas in big boats. Fishermen will not be permitted to stay for 24 hours in the seas. Fishermen can only fish in small boats near the shore. Even for that fishermen must get permission from the Sri Lankan Navy (SLN). The restrictions are that severe!!

Two thirds of the coast of this island is part of the Tamil homeland. Mother sea and fishing play a very important role in the economy of Tamils. Livelihood of hundreds of thousands of Tamil people depends on the sea. Over the last two decades, these people of the Northeast fishing community, having lost their livelihood are languishing in poverty. Restrictions and rules enforced by SLN have denied these people their daily income.

Fishing and farming, the two main livelihood activities of the Tamils, have both been denied to many Tamils whose livelihood depended on it. Rice fields, lands used to cultivate vegetables, and water reservoirs have all been seized from Tamils in the pretext of High Security Zones. Many farming families chased out of their fertile land are languishing in refugee camps.

The ceasefire agreement signed four years ago required the easing of restrictions on fishing and allowing the farmers back to their own homes and farmlands. None of this has happened.

On the contrary more land is being seized from the people. More fishing restrictions are being imposed. Southern Sri Lanka is developing in the atmosphere of peace. The opposite is going on in the Tamil homeland. Behind the smokescreen of ceasefire, oppression and threats are becoming worse. The same GoSL that is portraying itself to be taking forward the peace talks, and peace efforts, is dragging time and ignoring the basic humanitarian needs of the Tamils. One can even say that GoSL, after trapping the Tamils in the peace process, is scheming to destroy all their livelihood institutions.

Tamil side is frustrated and angry that this ceasefire period, the so called peace time, has failed to relieve the repression of the Tamils, has failed to resettle the displaced people back in their land, has failed to assist Tamils to regain their livelihood, and has failed rebuild their social institutions destroyed by the war. Tamils are even more angry that this peace time is being used to increase the restrictions their lives.

GoSL is forgetting that under the ceasefire agreement it is obliged to ease the restrictions on fishing. The new fishing restrictions are indeed violations of the ceasefire agreement.

30 March 2006

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