TNA leaders see IDP camps, express relief, call for more financial aid

Terming their visit to IDP welfare centres at Menik Farm and other places on Nov 16 as a very good opportunity to have a firsthand assessment .

N.Srikantha, Tamil National Alliance Parliamentarian who led a six member TNA parliamentary delegation, said overall there is solid ground for satisfaction at the progress in resettling the IDPs. The people are in an upbeat mood, he said and added that there is a strong case to increase the cash relief from Rs. 25000 as the extent of damage varied from house to house and village to village.

In his view, the officials at the camps were very down to earth , very cooperative and (of) understanding nature .

R.N.Imam, P. Ariyenthiran, Selvam Adaikalanathan, Sivanahtan Kishor, S.Vino Noharathalingam, and Dr.Thomas William are the other members of the delegation. An acupuncture specialist, Thomas became an MP from Amparai district in place of Pathmanathan, who died. He is an acupuncture specialist in his early 60s

Srikantha and his colleagues held discussions with the IDPs, officials, and local army authorities to gain an understanding of the situation. Their interaction helped to speed up the dates for the return of some families and for some others the date of return was hastened.

Talking about their visit with Asian Tribune, TNA leader SriKantha stated that at their request the authorities agreed to introduce a system that would allow IDP to leave the camps freely during day time and meet their relatives and friends in other camps around the Menik Farm area. The system should be in place very soon. Then there won t be any restrictions on the IDPs to visit their kith and kin .

Another positive fall-out of the visit, according to TNA MP was the willingness of the authorities to let wives and children meet surrendered suspects who are held in an exclusive camp.

While on IDP camps, the delegation went around schools, and went to Mannar to see the developmental work that is being carried on in Mannar district like at the bund being raised at the Giants Tank.

Here is the text of the Interview:

Asian Tribune: How was your trip to the IDP welfare centers?

N.Srikantha MP: Well, it was O.K. I mean we visited the IDP camps today (on Monday 16 November).

Asian Tribune: Who are the others with you in TNA delegation ?

N.Srikantha MP: They are our parliamentarians R.N.Imam, P. Ariyenthiran, Selvam Adaikalanathan, Sivanahtan Kishor, S.Vino Noharathalingam, , Dr.Thomas William and myself.

Asian Tribune: Dr. Thomas William?

N.Srikantha MP: Yes. Thomas. He is a new comer to parliament from Amparai district in place of the late Pathmanathan. He is an acupuncture specialist in his early 60s. First, we went to the IDP camps located in the Menik Farm, Cheddikulam to meet with the people there, and talked with them freely. The Governor of Northern Province Major General Chandrasri and Vanni commander Major General Kamaal Gunaratna accompanied us together with several other officials, both from the military and civil administration.

Asian Tribune: What about the GA?

N.Srikantha MP: Yes, the Vavuniya GA wasn t there, but when we went to Mannar, the Mannar GA was there. We talked to the IDPs and we find that the required basic the amenities are there, but, however, there are few shortcomings here and there. The IDPs did not complain with regard to the basic amenities.

Basically they are yearning to go back to their homes. That is the repeated request made everywhere and they are trying to find out when they will be able to go. Now that little over 100,000 have left the camps and got resettled and these people are also trying to find out when they will also be allowed to leave. Well, that is quiet natural. We were able to give certain section of the IDPs positive indication of the possible dates in which they will be able to leave the camp after we gathered the information from the officials concerned. For some we were able to tell that they will be resettled in their areas commencing on the 1st of December 2009. In regards to some others we were able to say they will be resettled from the 15th of December 2009. Because officials were there, so we were passing on these questions to officials and they were giving us the information.

Another request was to get a pass system, whereby IDPs are able to leave the camps freely during day time, so that they could visit their relatives and friends in other camps around the Menik Farm area. So we passed it on to the officials and they said that very soon they are going to introduce a system whereby all will be able to visit their kith and kin and there won t be any restriction.

At present, they are allowed to visit relatives but in a very restricted manner. Also with regards to the people in the special camps, that mean the detainees, they are the surrendees including those who got conscripted and there were some request from some people that the head of the family is there and the rest of the family is in the IDP camps. The family members would like to meet with the father or the husband of the child. Therefore, they can meet frequently though even currently they are allowed such meetings but only one member from each family can go there. A lady was complaining that how could she leave her children alone and go and meet her husband who is there? That is understandable

Asian Tribune: They are separated?

N.Srikantha MP: Yes, the man is suspected of LTTE connection, surrendered or subsequently arrested, so he is in the camp meant for such people and whereas the wife and the children are in one of these camps meant for the civilians; the wife would like to meet with the husband and children would like to meet with father. We put that question to the officials and they said that they will allow.

Asian Tribune: The officials were very friendly and down to earth?

N.Srikantha MP: Yes, they were very cooperative and of understanding nature. Then we went to Mannar. We were able to see the development work that is being carried on in Mannar district. One is the Giants Tank. The level of the bund is getting raised by another 2 feet and the work is almost over.

The engineers there explained the prospect of irrigation covering wide range of area almost about 50,000 acres. There are also small tanks that are getting renovated. They say that the water from the small tanks will be first utilized. During the February- March period they will use the water from the Giants Tank for irrigation. \ Then we went to Karunkandal village, in Tirukettheeswaram area, we were able to meet with some children who were released from the IDP camps and are attending school for the last 4 or 5 days. The school got reopened very recently about a week ago. We were able to talk to the children and teachers and also some people who returned to their homes.

So the people who are resettled were really in an upbeat mood and they were repairing their houses and roofing it with tin sheets which are provided by the government and Rs. 25,000 in cash. But they need more things as the extent of damage varies from house to house. Most of the houses whether it is in Mannar, Vanni region Mullaiivu and Kilinochchi district and North of the Vavuniya district, you know the damage has been so extensive and I think in these areas more assistance is needed. Any way the people we met in Mannar and subsequently in Thulukai were in a positive mood. Mannar I think was more particularly in need of special help.

Asian Tribune: So you were in Malavi?

N.Srikantha MP: Yes, in the Malavi central college and all that. Yoga Puram Mahavittiyalayam has been reopened. We were told by one of the teachers that the students have started attending, first it was 200, then 500 and now it has jumped up to 800. So that, so many families are being resettled in Thunukkai area the resettlement is almost getting over in a day or two.

The last batch is there and they have been temporarily placed in some buildings or a school. They have been to their houses to check and they will be resettled either tomorrow or day after. So we find from the data provided also from the people met with both in Vavuniya in the Army head quarters and in the Thunukkai Brigade headquarters, there was a video presentation and we were able to get all the relevant details with maps. So there is information and convincing data to show that eventually people are being released on a daily basis. Even today I was told that in the zone number 3 or 4 people were getting released.

Asian Tribune: Things are moving?

N.Srikantha MP: The pace of resettlement is giving us satisfaction. The only problem is the rainy season and we were yet to have rains in full force with full vigour. The questions are what will happen in the event of this low lying area getting flooded. We put that question sometime back to Basil Rajapakse M.P when we met with him, he assured us that arrangement are made to house these people in some concrete buildings, eventually.

In Mannar the GA of Mannar was there and we were able to see the new bridge on the Mannar causeway linking Mannar Island and the mainland. You know the old bridge is getting replaced at a heavy cost and it will be reopened in February or March 2010. For me it is nothing new because I have been to Mannar many times. I was attending some of my cases in the Magistrate court of Mannar. But for the other MPs they were able to see the construction work coming to a completion. Asian Tribune: Give us your final assessment?

N.Srikantha MP: I must say that this was a very good opportunity for us to have a firsthand assessment of the situation prevailing in the IDP camps. And also the progress that is being made in resettling the IDPs, - overall a solid ground of satisfaction.

Asian Tribune: You know sometimes you will be blamed that you are making a positive comment favouring the government.

N.Srikantha MP: I am not bothered. We are viewing it positively. I know what you mean. There may be certain people who might try to twist our comments. As elected representatives of people, we can t be sitting in Colombo and making verbal jabs in regards to the whole question. We wanted to go there and see personally and we had to repeatedly ask the government and today we got the chance and we got the opportunity and the people when they saw us they were happy.

Asian Tribune: Have you made up got an idea as to what you should do for IDPs after seeing them?

N.Srikantha MP: As it is, apart from the assistance given by the government, the external assistance is essential. Our Tamils are everywhere in every part of the globe, so my appeal is that they should start contributing through a well organized channels.

Asian Tribune: What about your party TNA?

N.Srikantha MP: That is right, we discussed this issue and now we want to have an organization.

Asian Tribune: Why a separate setup? Why don t you have committee in your party to look into the matter of funds to the IDPs?

N.Srikantha MP: No, Mr. Rajasingham that will lead to various allegations. Since the money had been used for political purposes, elections, we would not want anyone from TNA to be involved, maybe one or two the most. But we want people, social activists, community leaders, religious leaders and other people who are generally concerned to be there. The Rs. 25000 given by the Government is not enough and I have requested the government to raise the amount.

Asian Tribune: It is not even USD250. What can you the do with that?

N.Srikantha MP: Now many people have lost their tractors and other agricultural implements, a family we met in Thunukkai, the wife was worried about their vehicle that has been lost. They have been bravely facing all the hardship right from the day when the military conflict was raging so they gone really through the test of fire. Their only yearning is that they will be able to get back as quickly as possible. But at the same time they are also aware of the practical difficulties, the demining and all that, only thing that they want the matters to be speed up.

Asian Tribune: Have you seen the demining area?

N.Srikantha MP: Yes, yes I am coming to that. Karunkaddal area, we went there, and we were able to see the demining in progress, with the dogs and all. Asian Tribune: Army people were involved?

N.Srikantha MP: Yes, basically it is done by the army. The main burden is carried by the army because army is well placed with the expertise to deal with the situation. Overall I would say it was a meaningful effort that has been put in by both our side in meeting with IDPs and our trip to Thunukkai. I must also say that both the military and the civilians are very serious about the resettlement. I was able to see that. We all hope that all those now in the IDP camps are resettled soon and everyone in the country is free to move around without any restrictions at all.

- Asian Tribune -