Plaudits for swift resettlement

Religious leaders, Tamil politicos hail Government’s move :

by P.Krishnaswamy

Mannar Bishop Rt. Rev. Rayappu Joseph, TNA Vavuniya district Parliamentarian Sivanathan Kishore and leader of the Democratic People’s Front (DPLF) Tharmalingam Sitharthan, were among the Tamil political leaders who expressed their appreciation of the Government’s accelerated IDP resettlement program that began on Thursday.

Of the 200,000 IDPs at welfare villages in Vavuniya and Chettikulam, the resettlement of 41,000 in a single batch was inaugurated yesterday at Manthai West, Mannar presided over by Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa MP who is also Chairman of the Presidential Task Force for Northern Development.

Ministers, dignitaries including Northern Province Governor Maj. Gen. G.A.Chandrasiri and GAs attended the ceremony. Inaugural functions held on that day at five other sites in Kilinochchi, Mullaitivu, Vavuniya and Mannar were attended by Ministers Ameer Ali, S.M.Chandrasena and Milroy Fernando.

Bishop of Mannar Rev.Rayappu Joseph, Sivanathan Kishore MP and DPLF leader Sitharthan who were among the participants at the inaugural function at Manthai West told the Sunday Observer that after witnessing the pace of the resettlement program that has begun they were optimistic over the possibility of resettlement of a bulk of the IDPs before the end of this year.

They fervently believed that all basic infrastructure and livelihood facilities, including fishing and agriculture, will be provided to the families under the program.

They also welcomed the Government’s programs to rehabilitate ex-combatants, including children, and the assistance being provided for them to pursue their studies.

Excerpts of their views:

Rev.Rayappu Joseph: “ It is a matter of consolation and hope that the IDPs are now being resettled in their villages in the Vanni. These innocent victims of war suffered immensely, many of them lost everything they owned; some of them their loved ones; while many lost their limbs and consequently the ability to eke out a living.

“We are thankful to the Government for commencing the resettlement process and we hope that the international community will strengthen the hands of the Government in its efforts to provide all basic infrastructure and shelter to the displaced families.

“Not less than 70 per cent of child soldiers were forcibly recruited by the LTTE. It is heartening that the Government has taken measures to rehabilitate them. Some of them have been admitted to a prominent college in Colombo and we highly appreciate it.

“We do not support separatism but the crying need for a political settlement of the Tamil problem should be fulfilled for reconciliation, communal harmony and brotherhood. The process of working out a devolution package should be kept alive.”

TNA MP for Vavuniya District Sivanathan Kishore: “ It is a great relief that the Government has now started the crash resettlement program of IDPs and I am very happy about it while also being thankful to the Government. I was among the participants at the inaugural ceremony at Manthai West in Mannar last Thursday presided over by Senior Presidential Advisor Basil Rajapaksa MP and attended by Ministers, dignitaries and others. Each IDP family was given Rs.5000 in cash, two bags of goods and a chest containing India’s relief assistance. They were also to be disbursed an amount of Rs.20,000 for constructing temporary shelters.

“ With this beginning, I am confident that the Government will complete the resettlement process soon and will provide all facilities and infrastructure for them to restart their normal lives and live in dignity.”

DPLF (PLOTE) leader Tharmalingam Sitharthan: “President Mahinda Rajapaksa assured us that he will quicken the resettlement of the IDPs and in keeping with the promise he has already commenced the large scale resettlement of IDPs in the Vanni. The LTTE kept the Northern people as prisoners for two long decades and now that the LTTE has been defeated and the war has ended, The President has initiated measures to give them their freedom and to resettle them in their own homes in the own villages. We commend the Government for the prompt steps now being initiated for the resettlement of the IDPs. The Government has nothing to gain by keeping the IDPs in welfare villages for a long time but instead it would be a political and economic drawback.

“We understand the Government’s difficulties in addressing hygienic problems of such a large number of IDPs confined to a small area. If at least 100,000 IDPs can be moved away from Menik Farm and Vavuniya welfare villages before the floods that are anticipated due to monsoonal rains, health hazards in the welfare villages during the season can be handled effectively. We believe the Government would do it. “We explained to the Tamil Nadu delegation of MPs during their recent visit that even if the Indian Government had wanted to stop the war that would not have been possible because the LTTE was all out for war and separatism. “Even the TNA supported the LTTE stance until Pudukudiyiruppu in Mullaitivu was captured by the Government forces. We also explained to the Tamil Nadu delegation that if President Mahinda Rajapaksa had stopped the war half way through it would have been a political suicide to him and the country as a whole.“We also explained to the delegation that the propaganda in Tamil Nadu, that over 10,000 youths among the IDPs had disappeared was false because they are ex-combatants who were identified and entrusted to the relevant authorities for rehabilitation and that we visited all camps where they are housed under the rehabilitation program. “In the Batticaloa district we have seen that IDPs from that district were resettled in a very short period. With this experience the Government would be in a position to put in place the entire resettlement program in the North.

“With the commencement of the resettlement process that started last Thursday, I am confident that the Government would resettle 90 per cent of the IDPs before the end of this year. There may be certain number of LTTEers, about 2,000 or so, now in the welfare villages mingling with the IDPs. But the Government has nothing to gain by detaining 200,000 IDPs because of them. Instead it will only be a political and economic drawback to the Government.”