Sri Lanka: Govt. 'trying to change' demography

BBC Sinhala
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The major Tamil political party in Sri Lanka has accused the government of trying to change the demography in the north taken over by the military following the defeat of Tamil Tiger rebels over a year ago.

"Displaced people are not allowed to resettle in their ancestral lands,' says the Tamil National Alliance (TNA).

The TNA also accused the government of breaching pledges made to India and the international community over resettling internally displaced people (IDP).

IDPs from Shanthipuram in Kilinochchi district and Murugandi and Hindupuram in Mullaitivu district were not allowed by the authorities to resettle in their ancestral lands, claimed the TNA.

Pledges to India

"Sometimes they are allowed visits to their lands but are ordered back to the camps in a day or two," MA Sumanthiran, MP, told journalists.

He said it is a violation of the pledges given by Mahinda Rajapaksa government to India and other international bodies.

Suresh Premachandran, MP, said nearly 75 percent of the affected IDPs are Tamils of Indian origin who were chased away from the upcountry in 1977 and 1983 racial riots.

The parliamentarian said that Government Agent in Mullaitivu has received written orders from the Ministry of Defence (MoD) not to resettle any IDP in the areas.

The TNA accused the government of carrying on a 'land grab policy' in order to establish military camps.

Government response

"In Mullikulam, Mannar, for example, 400 acres are taken by the navy," Mr. Premachandran said.

Another 4000 acres in Murukandy are taken over for an army camp, he said.

Mr. Sumanthiran who recalled a statement by the military chief of plans to establish special villages in the north for predominantly Sinhala military families, questioned whether the intention of the government is to change the demography in the north historically inhabited by Tamils.

The Sri Lankan government denies that it is on a land grabbing exercise in the north.

However, the Minister in charge of Resettlement told BBC Sandeshaya that the government needs to establish military camps in the area 'for national security'.

"Can the navy be stationed away from the sea?" queried minister Milroy Fernando when asked about the navy acquiring hundreds of acres in Mannar.

Those affected will be only a 'small number of people,' he added.

© BBC Sinhala

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Restrictions hinder Sri Lankan journalists

UCA News
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Journalists in northern Sri Lanka have told their southern counterparts they are unable to do their jobs effectively because of ongoing post-war reporting restrictions.

They raised the issue during a seminar organized by the National Peace Council (NPC) called Bridging North and South.

Some 50 journalists, including several Catholics and two priests, attended the event at the Church-run Center for Society and Religion on July 30.

“We Tamil journalists do not know Sinhalese and do not have freedom of movement in many villages,” said Navaratnam Parameswaram, a journalist working for a Tamil daily in Jaffna.

Getting their message across to people in the south is a big problem because of cultural differences and moving around physically to report is difficult as there are roadblocks at every junction, he said.

In many areas, “cameras are banned and journalists have lost their investigative abilities,” said another reporter.

Participants also noted that local and foreign journalists still need government permission to gain access to refugee camps.

The seminar “was a chance for Tamil journalists to present their case and to try and persuade their southern colleagues to write about the suffering that’s still going on in the north,” said Jehan Perera, a Catholic and NPC executive director.

After the seminar, the Tamil journalists aired their grievances with state media minister Keheliya Rambukwella, the director of the Media Center for National Security Lakshman Hulugalle and other politicians and government officials.

© UCA News

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Siyatha attack: Police still clueless, damages estimated at Rs. 50 mn

By Norman Palihawadena | The Island
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Police are still clueless about the identity of the gang which attacked the Siyatha media office in Hunupitiya last week.

The damage caused by the petrol bomb attack and the attendant fires has been estimated at around Rs. 50 million. Cameras and other equipment had been destroyed in the attack, co-owner and popular actress Sangeetha Weeraratne said yesterday.

The attack had crippled the TV station, Weeraratne said adding that the management would not let down the 300 workers attached to Siyatha under any circumstances.

"I cannot think of any enemy resorting to this attack. If there had been any animosity it could have been sorted out through discussions without resorting to violence", she said.

She lamented that an innocent party could not do a legitimate business in this country. She said she hoped that the culprits would be brought to book soon.

Police conducting investigations have not yet made any breakthrough. The institution was not insured.

© The Island

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