Navi goes to Nandikadal

• Disappearances, state land grab and forced resettlement take centrestage in discussions with civil society reps in Jaffna
• Vows to raise issues of northern people during her mission in Colombo
• Pillay meets ex-LTTE commander Elilan’s wife for five minutes
• Prageeth’s wife joins northern disappearances protest
• Site of decisive battle cleared ahead of UN envoy’s visit

By Dharisha Bastians-August 28, 2013 
UN Human Rights Chief Navanethem Pillay concluded her visit to the formerly embattled Northern Province with a flying visit toPuthumathalan and Velamullivaikal, where tens of thousands of Tamil civilians were trapped during the final phase of the war, and pledged to raise issues faced by the northern people with authorities during her week-long mission to Sri Lanka.
The visiting UN High Commissioner for Human Rights landed in Jaffna on Monday (26) night.
Velamullivaikal, on the banks of the Nandikadal Lagoon where LTTE Leader Vellupillai Prabhakaran was killed in May 2009 is a controversial region of the Wanni, where the Government and the UN have traded charges about civilian deaths during the final battles of the war.
Tamil media reports ahead of the UN Envoy’s arrival in Sri Lanka claimed troops had cleared the debris and burnt vehicles at the site, that remained there for viewing by thousands of ‘war tourists’ to the former battle zones.
Enforced disappearances, land acquisition by the State and forced resettlement emerged as priority issues for people of the former conflict zones in the north during the UN Envoy’s meeting with civil society representatives at the United Nations Office in Jaffna town last afternoon.
“I can understand the issues you are facing. I will raise these issues with the relevant authorities during the discussions. I hope a solution can be reached to the issues faced by the Tamils very soon,” civil representatives reported the High Commissioner had noted after listening to their concerns.
Protests greeted the UN Envoy as she toured Jaffna, with scores of families of the disappeared making appeals to her to assist to locate their loved ones and blaming the UN for inaction. Among the protestors was the wife of missing journalist Prageeth Ekneligoda, Sandhya, who joined the scores of families from the north in their appeals.
Pillay did not stop to speak to demonstrators outside the District Secretariat, but did speak with the wife of ex-LTTE Commander Elilan, Ananthy Sasitharan, for five minutes, when she said she had attempted to raise concerns about disappearances. Sasitharan is contesting the Northern Provincial Council election under the TNA.
The UN High Commissioner visited the iconic Jaffna Library that was burnt in 1981 and has since been restored last morning. At the Jaffna District Secretariat Pillay held talks with Northern Province Governor Maj. Gen. G.A. Chandrasiri, Jaffna Government Agent Suntharam Arumainayagam and other Government officials.
Pillay flew to Trincomalee last night and returns to Colombo tonight. She has meetings scheduled with External Affairs Minister G.L. Peiris and Presidential Secretary Lalith Weeratunga in Colombo tomorrow.