[TamilNet, Wednesday, 04 August 2010, 07:27 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) occupying Vanni is exploiting funds donated by China for the resettlement of uprooted Vanni people to construct permanent housing schemes for its personnel, in Kokkaavil, located west of A9 road in Vanni, civil society organizations in K'linochchi said. Uprooted civilians forcibly taken by SLA soldiers to work in the constructions said that even two storey buildings are under construction in an area where new roads have been laid. Meanwhile, around 3,000 uprooted families, brought to be resettled in Vanni by Sri Lanka government, continue to live under trees left abandoned while Sri Lanka government exploits international assistance meant for them to settle Sinhalese families from South, Suresh Premachandran, Tamil National Alliance (TNA) parliamentarian said.
SLA has already built at least 5,000 prefabricated houses for its personnel in Mu'ruka'ndi area, east of A9 road in Mullaiththeevu district in Vanni, with foreign funds meant for resettling the uprooted Vanni people, the MP said.
Suresh Premachandran added that the above housing settlements are part of Sri Lanka government's scheme to Sinhalicize the traditional Tamil homeland in the North.
The new SLA housing scheme with special quarters for its officers is constructed in Kokkaavil area where Sri Lanka government TV, Rupavahini transmission tower is located.
US urged to press for international probe of Sri Lanka war
Wednesday, 11 August 2010 01:38 administrator
A group of US lawmakers is urging the Obama administration to push for an independent international investigation into alleged war crimes that occurred during Sri Lanka's civil war.
In a letter to US Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, the members of Congress called for such a probe saying panels set up by the Sri Lankan government to probe the allegations "lacked the needed credibility."
These panels have "also delayed criminal investigations and in several instances members of these commissions have resigned in protest at the government's interference," the letter said, citing Amnesty International.
The letter dated August 9 and obtained Tuesday was signed by some 57 members of the US House of Representatives.
"There is mounting evidence that suggests both parties in the conflict committed severe human rights violations during the conflict," it said.
In May last year, capping a four-decade civil war, Sri Lankan government troops finally defeated the separatist Liberation Tigers of Tamil Ealam.
"We urge you to call for a robust and independent international investigation that would finally clarify the events that occurred during the conflict and provide the foundation for a sustainable peace in Sri Lanka," the letter said.
Sri Lanka has rejected a United Nations probe into alleged rights abuses during the final stages of the war.
The UN has previously reported that at least 7,000 ethnic Tamil civilians were killed in the last four months of fighting before government troops finally defeated the Tigers in May.
Sri Lanka says that no civilians were killed while battling the rebels and that it would not allow the UN or any other independent body to probe war crimes allegations. (AFP)
