The sad plight of the displaced

The High Security Zones (HSZ) in the Jaffna Peninsula has demarcated 190 sq kms or some 15% of land within the Peninsula. In a land area where in better times some 30,386 families were settled now has only 286 families who are witnessing the Military’s arbitrary demarcation of 19 HSZs in the Peninsula.

Twenty one-year-old P. Parameswaran, a resident of the war torn village Irupalai, four kilometres from the Jaffna town said, “We are living in a private land. Last week, the landowner came and told us to leave or he would go to courts to evict us. Our own lands are occupied by the army calling them HSZs, so where can we go?”

Though there is relative peace in Jaffna these displaced people are not free of their problems. While on one side their houses and belongings are being utilized by 45,000 army troops patrolling the High Security Zones in the Jaffna Peninsula, a similar thing is happening on another side within LTTE held areas where some 15,000 LTTE cadres are also exploiting the possessions of displaced people.

Some of these abandoned houses are not fit for human habitation as the wilderness, with its shrubs and bushes have taken over these houses while the people are struggling to find shelter for their children and themselves.
Most of the people in Valikamam North area including Palali, Kankesanthurai, Myliddy, Tellippalai and Keerimalai are still living in refugee camps as displaced persons. Out of 25,000 houses in the Valikamam North, 18,000 are within a HSZ.

Some 8,552 families were living with friends and relatives, while 1,780 families are in refugee camps. Others have gone to the LTTE-controlled Wanni area in the Northern mainland.

Much of the land in the Valikamam North is fertile and suitable for cultivation and most people were farmers. Because of the HSZs, farmers had to abandon 320 hectares of paddy fields, 1,007 hectares used for subsidiary crops, 196 hectares of Palmyrah trees and 20 hectares of coconut palms. Now those farmers are unemployed.

The largest factory in the Jaffna peninsula was the Kankesanthurai cement factory in Valikamam North. It also came within the HSZ and was shut down, along with the Maviddapuram and Ampanai aluminum factory, the Maviddapuram bucket factory, and the Vasavilan fruit juice plant, leaving thousands of workers jobless.

In Chavakachcheri, agricultural lands totalling 2,500 hectares are under military control and 600 hectares are within HSZs. Another 300 hectares cannot be used because of buried land mines.

About 1,000 hectares at Kaithadi was released for cultivation but 300 hectares also cannot be used due to land mines. Nadeswara College, the biggest school at Kankesanthurai, has been shifted to small houses at Kantharodai, Chunnakam. There were 1,049 students before the conflict, but now only 75 attend.

According to parents the authorities are now trying to close the school because of poor student attendance. There were 46 schools in Valikamam North. Of the 29 schools within the HSZ, 16 have closed, and 13 are functioning outside the zone.

(http://www.sundaytimes.lk/050724/news/17.html)