Friday, August 31, 2007

Tamil students kept away from exams due to fear of LTTE conscription - EPDP Leader

The Leader of the Ealem Peoples' Democratic party (EPDP) the Minister of Social Services Douglas Devananda has stated that many Tamil students in Vanni kept away from the GCE examinations due to the fear of the LTTE forcible conscription.

Minister Devananda said that as a result of LTTE's decision to conscript 60,000 children by recruiting one child from each household, only 7 to 8 per cent of the registered students in the Vanni were able to sit the Advanced Level exam this year.

According to EPDP Leader reliable reports have revealed that the LTTE Leader Velupillai Prebhakeran is considering to increase the demand to two children from each household during his Matyrs Day speech scheduled for November 26, 2007.

Minister Devananda pointed out that the safety of 2000 families who had been displaced from Ariyalai in the Jaffna Town due to the area being declared a High security Zone is a major concern and the government is taking steps to relocate them in alternate lands. The displaced living in temporarily shelters in the coastal areas of Navalady, Maniam Thottam etc. could be prone to pressure and attacks by the LTTE in the future.

He added that the LTTE was continually threatening to shell the EPDP office. "It was only last week that some of the LTTE Artillery shells fell into or around the Palaly area and that was why I spoke to these displaced and offered to find alternate land for them to resettle," he said.

Minister Devananda added that he met with 200 or more residents of Jaffna daily, listened to their grievances and took whatever possible steps to grant then redress.

(http://www.defence.lk/new.asp?fname=20070831_02)

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