28 Tamils, most of them family men with many children, have been reported disappeared since 2008 in Batticaloa’s border villages with the Sinhala districts, human rights activists in Batticaloa say. Tamil women who have lost their husbands are subjected to sexual harassments under the highly militarised condition prevailing in these villages. I’rakkaka’di villagers in Ea’raavoor-pattu in Chengkaladi division have refused to resettle without proper security to them.
Although the SL government employed officials and NGO workers provide livelihood assistance, dry ration and shelter, security of the resettled families is given lowest priority.
Settlers from the South with the assistance and protection provided by the Sri Lanka Army with security posts every kilometre are illegally occupying lands belonging to Tamils despite Tamil owners possessing valid deeds and permits to those lands.
State-aided colonisation of the border villages is changing the demography of the district and this has fermented fears among the Tamils of the district that following they would be forced into a ‘minority’ in their own district, as what has happened in Ampaa’rai district, bordering the southern districts.
Civil society members in Batticaloa say they have repeatedly complained to the Government Agent about the security situation of the resettling Tamil families in the border villages.
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