Squeezing the Vanni

JAFFNAÆS senior civil administrator Government Agent (GA) S Pathmanathan ordered thousands of displaced government officers among the 280,000 refugees currently in the Vanni, in mid-June to return to work in the peninsula. Wages and dry rations have been suspended for those who refuse to return.

The GAÆs instruction is part of continuing government pressure on the LTTE-controlled Vanni. Government officers say they must obtain permission from the LTTE as well as the Army to cross the frontier into Vavuniya to travel to Jaffna through Trincomalee.

Vanni schools are occupied by refugees and reports say 200,000 students are without classrooms. Most classes are held in the open under trees.

Government Agents say they are prohibited by Colombo from providing any assistance to the 60,000 refugees who fled to the Vanni after Operation Sunray II in April. Around 2,000 families in welfare centres are facing starvation according to Kilinochchi GA Thillai Nadarajah. Mullaitivu GA R Tharmakulasingham has appealed to NGOs for help. But NGOs say the government has the responsibility to feed the people.

Tamil MP M Chandrakumar accuses the government of failing to provide drought relief to the Vanni districts. Since January at least Rs 250 million ($5 million) worth food was needed, but only food worth Rs 160 million was supplied. Cooperative union staff are afraid to transport food into the Vanni after union employee Sinnathamby Nagendran went missing between Thandikulam and Vavuniya, carrying Rs 2.3 million.

Over 300 youths from the north wishing to travel to Colombo were interrogated by the Army in Vavuniya in June. Only 140 were allowed to proceed. After Army officers at Nochchimoddai checkpoint, north of Vavuniya, refused permission three times, M Kandasamy, 60, collapsed and died later in hospital. He was hoping to join his daughter in Canada.

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