Archive for the ‘Batticaloa’

  • 9 Jan, 2007
  • 3 Comments
  • Batticaloa,
    Peace and Conflict

Please leave us alone; a voice from Muslim community

Two Muslim traders in Katthankudy were injured by an unidentified group when they returned home from Arayampathi at around 6.30pm today. This is causing tension as Muslim people in the area believe that it was done by the Karuna faction. On January 3, Kattankudy Muslim traders were not allowed to enter the market and were sent away by an unidentified group, believed to be the Karuna group, in Arayampathi. At the same time Palamunai to Kattankudy bus services were stopped near Karbala by them. This incident increased tension among the Muslim and Tamil communities. A team under the Kattankudy UC (Urban Council) chairman tried to get an appointment with TMVP to discuss this matter but that has no yet been possible. During the last few years there have been a lot of issues over Karbala land ownership between both communities. Lot of suspicion arose as a result. The Muslim community is living peacefully and in tolerance with other communities of…

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Daily Security Report from UN – The plight of the North & East

Got this in my email today – paints a bleak picture of the North and East of Sri Lanka. Don’t know to whom this situation update goes to, but I’m sure there must be many like it that collaborate the findings noted in this report. Security situation is tense and the level of threat is high in the areas where fighting occurs in the North and East, including in the districts of Killinochchi and Mulathivu due to possible air strikes. Exchange of shelling between the LTTE and the SLA continues. Security is tightened in towns with large presence of military and Police. Restriction of movements into the affected areas is still in force in Jaffna and essential movements are only allowed into the LTTE controlled areas in the East with the approval of ASC. Protest demonstrations have been organised by the Muslim community after the prayers in the Muslim areas in the Eastern Coastal (sic). Most of the shops are…

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Discrimination in Law college entrance?

9 students who sat for Law College entrance examination in academic year 2006/2007-appeal case at Srilankan appeal court today with demanding of to reduce cut off marks from 173 to 160. One of the complainer (H.M.Rifan) spoke to me. “We are fighting for all Tamil medium Students. Every year only one or two Tamil medium people are chosen to the college. We feel there is discrimination for Tamil medium people. Regarding this issues last year a complaint appealed in the Supreme Court under the fundamental rights. While the time we are going today. While the cut off mark is the same for students from all communities, these students feel that the mark is being used to avoid letting in Tamil medium students. He said there was probably corruption and Tamil students were being given marks below the cut off point. “If they decrease the cut off marks there are possible to 9 Tamil medium students to get seats in Law…

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  • 1 Jan, 2007
  • 1 Comment
  • Batticaloa,
    Peace and Conflict

TMVP in same dustbin as LTTE in the past?

After recent Vaharai events there is tension between Tamil and Muslim communities at Karbala in Kattankudy regarding land issues. I got further details from the Kattankudi Mosque Federation secretary. He said “ last two weeks a new clash arose due to resettlement of refugees at Kattankudy Karbala land. This land is owned by Muslims and Mosque. There was an issue after Tsunami regarding this land. Some NGO’s were try to build up housing scheme in this area. So we went to court and got an injunction order to stop the project. However now some efforts used to occupy the land after the Vaharai incident.” “Behind this issues we heard that the TMVP taking involvement to capture the land. Actually there is no demand for the Muslim land. Because already over 30% Muslims living in 2.4% land ethnic wise in Batticaloa district and Tamils have vast land in surrounding areas. At the same time Kattankudy has a very high density of…

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Maps of shame

Every time I look at an OCHA map of Sri Lanka, the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis is made really clear. For here, we have entire regions, districts of Sri Lanka suffering under multiple humanitarian crises. There are swathes of land without access, thousands of families without adequate food, water, shelter. The OCHA map also paints a picture markedly different to that of the Government’s rosy image of returning normalcy. Who can these communities turn to? Caught between a Government more interested in a witch-hunt against NGOs, an LTTE that’s hell-bent on Eelam through even more bloodshed and violence, mysterious armed groups that appear and disappear overnight, and all manner of other travails and hardships that we cannot even imagine, the OCHA map is a grotesque reminder that while we party in Colombo, there are fellow citizens dying, starving and have little hope in 2007 of a better life. Every OCHA map marks out clearly a responsibility to act to…

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Human Shields In The Battle Of Sri Lanka

The SLMM in a statement on Dec 12 said they are concerned over the alarming situation in Vakarai. They pointed to the LTTE failing to protect civilians by restricting their movement, and the SLMM being refused access by the army due to security reasons. People are questioning whether there is human security in Sri Lanka, especially in North-East war affected areas, where civilians live as human shields, whether they are willing to or not. Behind this there are many political issues for both the government and LTTE. In the past, the UN, SLMM, and human rights organizations have failed to take effective steps to stop this. They only issue statements condemning both parties some times. Closure of A9 highway to Jaffna and A15 to Vaharai has created many problems such as food shortages, other basic needs and lack of security for civilians. While the human shield issue is the face of the problem, there are other issues behind it. This…

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Conflict Situation in Trinco

From my visit to Kantale I can say that Sinhalese people from Seru Nuwara Division are facing human security problems due to artillery and motor strikes from LTTE-controlled Vaharai area. Also over 30,000 people in ‘Vaharai’ are under house arrest, because the LTTE is not allowing them to go to a safe place. The people are facing lots of problems. They don’t have enough food, medicine, education, government services and basic needs. Most of them are living in refugee camps. Already, retaliation of government force to LTTE motor, artillery attack is affecting civilians. The situation is affecting both communities of Sinhalese and Tamils. On Dec 8 the LTTE started retaliating against government strike. On the first day a Sinhala school was targeted by artillery strikes where a teacher and a student were killed and over ten students injured. Regarding this issue, the students union is going to call a hartal in Kantale on Dec 11. Also O/L examination period is…

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Situation in Vakarai

About 25,000 refugees in the Vakarai region of Batticaloa need assistance urgently in terms of food, medicines, shelter, water and sanitation. They have been facing shortages for over a month, and I received my information from refugees who had left from Vakarai about 4 days ago. The government sector is also not functioning so there are no schools and medical facilities. A convoy with essential items was turned back yesterday by the army from Mankerni base. The army gave the reason that LTTE artillery attacks on Kajuwatte camp made it unsafe. The LTTE spokesman Illanthirayan denies this and says there was no firing by the LTTE on Tuesday. On Wedneday, another convoy of essential goods is preparing to go to Vakarai. About 3,500 LTTE cadres are in Vakarai, according to the IDPs. The LTTE says they are providing humanitarian help for the camps, because the people are from LTTE controlled areas. The people there are feeling isolated because they can’t…

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Located at the Centre for Policy Alternatives in Colombo, Sri Lanka, Groundviews is a citizen journalism website that uses a range of genres and media to highlight critical perspectives on governance, reconciliation, human rights, the arts and literature, democracy and other issues. The site has won two international awards, including the prestigious Manthan Award South Asia in 2009. The grand jury's evaluation of the site noted, "What no media dares to report, Groundviews publicly exposes. It's a new age media for a new Sri Lanka... Free media at it's very best!"

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