Sri Lanka: Another 1,898 persons re-settled in Mannar

by lalith | August 24, 2009 at 10:59 am

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In the second phase of the resettlement process by the government 442 families numbering 1,898 persons were resettled in Musali Divisional Secretariat Division in Mannar District last Friday, Aug. 21.

Accordingly 94 Tamil fishing families numbering 347 persons displaced during 2007 from Kokkupadayan were resettled in their own places while 348 Muslim families numbering 1,551 persons who were forcibly evicted by the LTTE in 1990 from Pandaraweli, Weppankulam, Poonarachchikulam, Periya Pollachchi Paranthankeni, Puthuweli, Kulappankulam and Maithanweli villages in Musali Divisional Secretariat Division staying in the IDP camps in Puttalam were resettled in their former locations.

The government has already resettled 561 families numbering 2,120 persons in Arippu and 122 families in the Musali Divisional Secretariat Division.

Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services Minister Rishad Badiudeen speaking at the event to resettle the IDPs said that there are 34 families from Musali housed in Menik Farm Relief Village and moves are in place to resettle them in their own places.

The Government of Sri Lanka is slowly but steadily resettling IDPs. Although, many critics blame the Government of not speeding up the resettlement process, they are only concentrating on the present situation. The circumstances of displacement are rarely brought up by them.

In 1990, the LTTE ordered around 100,000 Muslims to leave Mullaitivu, Mannar and Jaffna areas, giving them only 24 hours to comply. It was one of the most inhuman acts of ethnic cleansing witnessed in this part of the world. Most people, including women carrying infants, had to walk miles to reach Vavuniya town.

When these Muslims were evicted by the LTTE, the people, organizations, countries etc which are making a lot of noise today, were silent. Nobody even floated the fact that these Muslims were also Sri Lankan. The difference was that they were non LTTE and a hindrance to the dream of eelam.