No resettlement of IDPs by force

Ranil Wijayapala

COLOMBO: The Government yesterday denied any attempt by the Security Forces to resettle the displaced people in Vakarai by force adding that Government was only exercising the rights of the Tamil people by facilitating the resettlement in their original villages.

"We are only exercising the rights of the Tamil people by facilitating the people to resettle in their villages. No forcible resettlement is taking place in the East," Government Defence Spokesman Minister Keheliya Rambukwella said.

"It is the right of the Tamil people to live in their original habitat and we are facilitating that process," Rambukwella added.

He said by yesterday out of 11,575 people identified for resettlement in nine Grama Sevaka Divisions in Vakarai 10,815 people have already been resettled at the first stage of resettlement.

"The whole journey is not a bed of roses. It is a tough journey and problems will crop up when thousands of displaced people are resettled in their villages," the Minister pointed out.

"While spending millions of rupees to resettle the people after providing them with necessary infrastructure we are accused of forcible resettlement," the Minister said. He said Government has restored infrastructure facilities in Vakarai by providing electricity, restoring health and facilities prior to resettlement.

The Minister explained that the accusation came as displaced people from Trincomalee was transferred to the Kiliveddi transit camp prior to their resettlement in Ilankanthai area and now it has been sorted out. "By yesterday 2,726 people have already been taken to Kiliveddi from IDP camps in Valachchenai," the Minister pointed out.

Military Spokesman Brigadier Prasad Samarasinghe said the process of resettling people in Vakarai will be completed by March 31 with the resettlement of 15,289 people completing all three phases.