Sri Lanka government is actively engaged in merely relocating Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) from one internment camp to other camps instead of resettling them in their own places, IDP Welfare Organizations in Jaffna raised concern. The government, in an attempt to ward off pressure from International Community to speedily resettle the IDPs in their original villages, is putting up an appearance of resettling IDPs and it is suspected it is intentionally dragging its feet in resettling the residents of Vanni in their villages, they further said.
According to this scheme 446 persons of 151 families from Vanni held in Thenmaraadchi camps in Jaffna district are to be sent to Vavuniya and Mannaar districts Thursday. 81 families of these IDPs will be again detained in Vavuniyaa district and the rest in Mannaar district, Jaffna Secretariat sources said.
2,000 IDPs consisting of 150 pregnant women and 625 family members are to be brought to Jaffna claiming they are originally from Jaffna district.
However, 2141 persons of 620 families brought to Jaffna from Vavuniyaa internment camps are being again detained in Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) special camps in Thenmaraadchi and the islets of Jaffna instead of being resettled in their own places.
Meanwhile, 10,886 persons of 3,332 families have been brought to Jaffna since 5 August. Of these 8745 persons of 2,712 of families have been handed over to their relatives after being interrogated by SLA.
The rest of the IDPs are being detained in interim camps and it is not known when they will be handed over to their relatives, according to Jaffna Secretariat sources.
879 persons of 277 families claimed to be persons from the islets of Jaffna brought to Jaffna from Vavuniyaa internment camps via A9 road Wednesday have been sent to the islets of Jaffna.
1500 IDPs are to be brought to Jaffna in the next few days, Jaffna GA said.
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