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Oppressive conditions in Tamil homeland

Nearly 50,000 refugees displaced from Mutur and Sampur when the Sri Lanakn military launched an offensive and occupied Sampur in September. People displaced, fleeing shelling and aerial bombing. They did not have much time to gather any belonging. In deed close to 100 fleeing civilians were killed during the four week long offensive. Most of the displaced went to Vaharai.

Vaharai was already badly affected by the 2004 tsunami. Therefore the residents of Vaharai are refugees themselves still living in the temporary shelters meant only for six months that were erected for tsunami refugees. Vaharai, therefore, was not in a state to receive 50,000 more refugees, arriving with nothing. The new refugees took over the schools and the rest lived under trees. In such living conditions it is not surprising that mothers give birth under trees in rain.

As if this punishment for being Tamils is insufficient, the Sri Lankan military has banned all INGOs from entering Vaharai. Only ICRC and UN agencies are permitted because these two bodies do not readily issue reports on the conditions of the people.

As the monsoon season has begun, some of the Trincomalee refugees, unable to bear the conditions are displacing again further south and into GoSL controlled parts of Batticaloa. Will they be safe there? Those left behind in Vaharai, too frightened to move to GoSL controlled areas are facing hardships with lack of food, shelter and even clothes.

Vavunathivu

Vavunathivu area has come under artillery shelling of the SLA for months. People have displaced and returned back to their homes several times during this period. This artillery shelling is going on peace talks or not. Shells are being fired from Vavunathivu, Murakoddanchenai, Kommanthurai, Mavadivembu, Kaluvankerni and Valaichchenai SLA camps.

Thiriyai

Sri Lankan Navy abducted five civilians in two days in the Thiriyai area. In one incident two workers on their way to the paddy fields have disappeared. In another incident one was abducted from his home. In the third incident two men returning from a fish market were abducted. All five disappearance occurred in an area of strong Sri Lankan Navy presence. The disappearance in Thiriyai adds this location to the growing theatre of violence in the Tamil homeland.

Jaffna

Jaffna is perhaps a unique place in the world today for the level of military presence; for the level of killing and disappearance; and for the level of shortage of essential items brought by cutting off of the only land route into it.

People of Jaffna have been a prosperous people. It has also faced two decades of destruction by the Sri Lankan military. Yet, due to remittance by a large section of the Jaffna community living as refugees in western countries Jaffna remains relatively well off. Sri Lankan military is accustomed to stealing property from the Jaffna people. It has done so for two decades. Jewelry used to be the most common item of theft. In the latest phase of blocking out of Jaffna, large scale theft of retail outlets have become common.

People are saying that shops are broke open at night during curfew imposed by the same SLA. Valuable stock stolen are then being sold in the SLA shops that have been opened pretending to help the people. People will buy anything from anywhere because of the shortages created by the cutting off of the only land route to Jaffna.

26 October 2006

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