'Systematic Sinhalisation in Jaffna, Mullaitivu' - Tamil politicians
Lanka
Killing Fields
Lanka Killing Fields
Speaking
to media after undertaking a fact-finding field visit to the former war zones of
Mullaitivu, Vadamaradchchi east, Kokkilai and Naayaru areas, former MP and
leader of the Tamil National People’s Front (TNPF) Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam has
said that the motive of this systematic campaign was to “eliminate the very
existence of the traditional Tamil nation as a whole”.
“While
preventing the war-affected Tamil people from carrying out fishing livelihood in
their native places, the government and the security forces have established
systematic Sinhala settlements in these areas and allowed them to carryout
fishing at their will with full protection,” former MP Ponnambalam
said.
Recalling that the Tamils have been carrying out fishing traditionally in the seas from Amparai to Vadamaradchchi east as their major livelihood for several hundred years, he said that the government “under the guise of national security, has largely curtailed the routine activities of the people in these areas and purposefully deprived them of their livelihood”.
Systematic Sinhala colonisations
Giving details of the newly established Sinhala settlements along these coastal areas, he said that over 300 Sinhala fishing families have been permanently settled in the Naayaru area alone.
Recalling that the Tamils have been carrying out fishing traditionally in the seas from Amparai to Vadamaradchchi east as their major livelihood for several hundred years, he said that the government “under the guise of national security, has largely curtailed the routine activities of the people in these areas and purposefully deprived them of their livelihood”.
Systematic Sinhala colonisations
Giving details of the newly established Sinhala settlements along these coastal areas, he said that over 300 Sinhala fishing families have been permanently settled in the Naayaru area alone.
“As
of 1960 Census of population, only 35 Sinhala families were allowed to do
fishing temporarily - that too during a specific season of every year in the
Kokkilai areas. But during our visit we were able to witness over 300 Sinhalese
fishing families being permanently settled along the coastal belt to carryout
fishing. Of this, about 200 families have been officially registered as
permanent residents of this area.
Calling it “nothing but a systematic campaign to decimate very existence of the Tamil nation,” Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam invited all Tamil political forces to jointly fight for the rights of these “helpless people”.
Commenting on the issue, Jaffna District Parliamentarian of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Suresh K. Premachandran said that the situation was the same even when their party members undertook visits to Kokkilai, Kokkuthoduvai, Chemmalai, Naayaru and Mullaitivu just two months ago.
Erection of Buddha statues and land grabs in North
He said that the issues of Sinhala colonisation, settlement of Sinhala fishing families, land grabs, establishing Buddhist Temples in private lands and further expanding military cantonments are at its peak in these areas,” he said.
Calling it “nothing but a systematic campaign to decimate very existence of the Tamil nation,” Gajendrakumar Ponnambalam invited all Tamil political forces to jointly fight for the rights of these “helpless people”.
Commenting on the issue, Jaffna District Parliamentarian of the Tamil National Alliance (TNA) Suresh K. Premachandran said that the situation was the same even when their party members undertook visits to Kokkilai, Kokkuthoduvai, Chemmalai, Naayaru and Mullaitivu just two months ago.
Erection of Buddha statues and land grabs in North
He said that the issues of Sinhala colonisation, settlement of Sinhala fishing families, land grabs, establishing Buddhist Temples in private lands and further expanding military cantonments are at its peak in these areas,” he said.
“Last
week, a statue of Lord Buddha was unveiled in Kanakarayankum. The military can
do anything in these areas and they are not answerable to anybody. Those who
highlight these issues in the media or take it up with the members of the
international community are intimidated and threatened. We don’t see any effort
to stop such activities aiming bridge the gab with the Sinhala brethrens,” the
Jaffna District MP said.
A new pattern of religion-based violence could be noticed elsewhere in the country with the saffron-robed Sinhala radical Buddhist monks staging violent protests for the removal of Hindu temples and Mosques.
On September 01, an annual chariot festival of a famous Hindu temple in Dambulla in the Central Matale district was forced to abandon due to a strong protest by the powerful Buddhist clergies in the area. According to reports from Colombo, the local police had told the Hindu devotees they would not be able to guarantee their safety if they were to still go ahead with the planned chariot festival ceremony against protest by the Buddhist monks in the area.
A new pattern of religion-based violence could be noticed elsewhere in the country with the saffron-robed Sinhala radical Buddhist monks staging violent protests for the removal of Hindu temples and Mosques.
On September 01, an annual chariot festival of a famous Hindu temple in Dambulla in the Central Matale district was forced to abandon due to a strong protest by the powerful Buddhist clergies in the area. According to reports from Colombo, the local police had told the Hindu devotees they would not be able to guarantee their safety if they were to still go ahead with the planned chariot festival ceremony against protest by the Buddhist monks in the area.
This
has come barely a couple of days after President Mahinda Rajapaksa at an
election rally in the Muslim predominated Kalmunai town in the eastern province,
assured that he would not allow anybody to disrupt or destroy places of
worship.President is well aware
“The President says something for the public consumption, but in practice you could see Lord Buddha statues being unveiled virtually in every few hundred meters in Jaffna. He is encouraging such activities and has not taken any step to stop them. It is a fact that the Mosques are being destroyed and new Buddhist temples are being erected. Lands belonging to Muslims are being grabbed in the East while lands belonging to Tamils are being grabbed in the North”.
“These are open secrets and the President is well aware of what has been going on. It is a complete lie to say nothing of that sort is happening. I reiterate here that this government is working hard on eliminating all the historic and traditional Tamil identities systematically. All Tamil forces should work together to stop this while efforts should be made to mount international pressure on this government to arrest this dangerous trend,” MP Premachandran said.
Photo
courtesy: Tamilnet
