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SL Military sets on fire Tsunami disaster ‘displaced’ welfare centre in Kudathanai

Peasants displaced by the Tsunami tidal wave attack in the village of Nadukkudathanai, ten kilometres south of Point Pedro in the north coast and sheltered in a cadjan shed in the A.M.School compound, were driven away by the SL military that is occupying this area in the Jaffna peninsula and the cadjan shelter set on fire around 1930 on 1 January 2005.

It is reported that the military personnel were trying to distribute food parcels which the inmates refused to accept since food distribution was done by volunteers from the village in a coordinated manner and the people resisted military intervention, since the occupying force has no cordial relationship with the peasants.

The military personnel made this attempt twice on Saturday in the afternoon and late evening. On finding that the inmates were adamant in refusing their offer, the volunteer in charge of the centre and several others were assaulted by the military. Fearing serious assaults, the peasants moved out a little and were able to see the same men entering the shed and setting fire to it. Though they had their faces covered with cloth, the peasants identify from their conversation in Sinhala, the language of the SL soldiers.

The peasants reported this incident to the LTTE political office in Vadamaradchy and the Head of the division along with TNA member of parliament M.K.Shivajilingam visited the scene and removed the injured to the police station in Point Pedro to lodge a complaint and then to the hospital. The peasants have complained that it is the Military that set fire to their welfare centre.

The Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) that monitors the cease fire agreement between the government and the LTTE visited the site along with TNA parliamentarians Mavai Senathirajah, K.Sivanesan and Suresh Premachandran. The legislators are of opinion that such incidents tend to take place when delivery of relief aid is undertaken by the military rather than leaving it to the coordinated mechanism structured by the civilian groups.

03 January 2005

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