At a conference three days earlier, summoned after opposition UNP and Tamil parties demanded a parliamentary debate on the situation in the Vanni, Deputy Defence minister Anuruddha Ratwatte claimed that there are only 297,300 people in the region. The report of a three-member committee appointed in October 1996 to determine the number of refugees remains unpublished.
A church fact-finding mission to the Vanni in December has highlighted the extreme conditions and suffering of the people. Scarcity of food has led to malnourishment and prices remain high. Refugee sheds have been destroyed by monsoon floods and a large number suffer from malaria and diarrhoea.
According to Vavuniya Government Agent (GA) K Ganesh, transport of food is difficult as 200 lorries lie in LTTE-controlled areas without spare parts. Mullaitivu GA R Tharmakulasingham sent an urgent message in early December to the Social Services secretary requesting implementation of poverty relief programmes in the district.
Minister Nimal Siripala de Silva met national and international agencies on 24 December to discuss the Vanni situation in detail. Although a decision was taken to increase medicines to the Vanni by 30%, observers are doubtful that the Health ministry would be able to act independently of the Defence ministry.
Army operation Jayasikurui (Certain Victory) launched on 13 May to open a landroute to Jaffna continues. Despite some 4,000 Army casualties, Mr Ratwatte is determined to reach Kilinochchi before Sri Lanka’s 50th independence anniversary on 4 February.
In early December, a large number of refugees in Vavunikulam, south-west of Mankulam, fled as the Airforce bombed the area. Three soldiers and eight Tigers were killed in clashes at Kanagarayankulam. Six soldiers died at Olumadu when their tractor was blasted by a landmine on 12 December. The Defence ministry says 11 Tigers were killed in fighting four days later at Kanagarayankulam.
In Vavuniya, hotel owner Sellathurai Sritharan and an employee were abducted by gunmen in a van on 15 December. Alleged Army informer K Jegatheeswaran was shot dead on 22 December by LTTE’s Pistol Group which continues to infiltrate military areas. An Army intelligence officer was taken into custody in late December accused of rape of a 17 year-old girl at Vepankulam.