Incidents at Vempirai in the Jaffna District
Fresh water wells meant for drinking and cooking purposes are converted into drainage pits for toilets by the state security forces who trespassed and forcibly occupied the houses belonging to residents of Vempirai at West Manthuvil, Thenmaradchi in the Jaffna district. Residents came across this ugly abuse by the Sri Lankan forces when they took over their houses from the security officers on Thursday. This well had been exclusively used in common for drinking and cooking purposes by families who resided in a cluster of houses located on Varani - Vempirai road near Vempirai junction. The residents returned to the six of these houses that were arranged for handing over by the officers in security division 52 of Jaffna.
The people who have taken over their houses are now handicapped against their essential need of fresh water for drinking. They can hardly find another spot with similar spring of water within their limited premises, and the well polluted with night soil bars any good spring anywhere close to it. These people have long been displaced and are now financially handicapped too. Hence the cost of restoring the essential facilities distresses them further. In addition to the damage to the fresh water resource the houses are depleted of doors, windows door frames and even other necessary fittings of the houses are not left behind by the Security Forces. The residents are very badly burdened in respect of the cost of restoring their houses to be residentworthy again. The security men who vacated these houses are still present in the neighborhood of the crematorium that is not far away from the location they vacated on Thursday, the 30th December. People evacuated Manthuvil including Vempirai in the year 2000 when there were confrontations by the LTTE against the Security Forces. The evacuation spread all over Thenmaradchi including the city limits. The Security Forces in occupation of several houses in Thenmaradchi are still not willing to vacate the houses and people are unable to resettle. The six houses they vacated three years ago are now recovered from the Security forces through constant agitations and after long delayed undertaking by the security officials to hand over.
31 December 2003
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Europe which has a total population of 800 million is made up of 45 language based nation states. South Asia which has a total population of one billion, (1000 million) is comprised of four states. Who is preventing and therefore benefiting by limiting new nation-states in South Asia?
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