Tamil National Alliance Parliamentary group leader R. Sampanthan has expressed concern over the manner in which the government is handling the IDP issue, saying the resettlement in many cases simply means taking the displaced people out of the camps and abandoning them.
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| Sampanthan trying to form a new alliance to win Tamil rights. |
In an interview with the Sunday Times, the senior politician also warned that if the state-sponsored colonization programmes in the east is not stopped, it may lead to another Tamil militancy. Excerpts:
You have expressed concern about the welfare of the internally displaced people. How do you see the resettlement plans going?
A: We cannot be satisfied by the manner in which the government is handling the IDP issue. In the name of settlement, the government simply takes the people out of the camps and abandons them without providing proper infrastructure facilities. They have no housing or a source of income. They do not have jobs as they cannot engage in fishing or farming. Many people have been sent to Batticaloa, Ampara, Trincomalee and Mannar, though they were originally living in the Wanni.
There are allegations that some IDPs who have been sent to their villages have not been properly compensated. Your comments?
A: Yes. Many of them are now living with relatives or friends. They have been given a meagre amount — Rs. 5,000 — to restart their lives. They are wondering what their future will be. Some families are shattered because they have not been reunited with other family members. They are desperately trying to locate their family members.
During this month’s debate in parliament to extend the state of emergency, you made allegations about state sponsored colonization programmes in the east. Can you elaborate on it?
A: This is a serious situation. I have reliable information that in the Trincomalee and Batticaloa districts, the government is bringing outsiders and settling them in villages. This was one of the main causes for the rise of Tamil militancy. Now that the LTTE is no more, such colonization programmes have returned. This may lead to another uprising.
Has your party identified the pressing issues the IDPs are facing and brought them to the notice of the international community in a bid to address them?
A: We have been meeting with the heads of diplomatic missions in Colombo regularly and keeping them informed about the problems the IDPs are facing. We even went to India and informed the Indian leaders about the situation of the displaced people. But more than the international community, it is the government’s responsibility to resettle the displaced people.
The war ended five months ago, but there has been no proposal of a political settlement. What is happening in this area?
A: The government apparently has a negative attitude towards devolution of power. The All Party Representative Committee too has failed to come up with suitable proposals. We are waiting for the government’s solution. We don’t know whether it has one.
President Mahinda Rajapaksa recently invited the TNA for talks. What was the outcome?
A: We had two meetings and informed him about our position. Particularly we spoke about the IDPs. Without sending these people back to their homes, I don’t think that any meaningful result could be achieved.
You have been discussing the possibility of forming a new alliance of Tamil parties. What is happening?
A: We have been meeting all the Tamil speaking parties. We want to bring them under one umbrella. We are trying to introduce a minimum workable solution. We believe if all Tamil parties unite for a common cause, we can win the rights of the Tamil people and protect our land rights.
Last week some of TNA local government members crossed over to the government side and there is speculation that two TNA Parliamentarians also are trying to join the government.
A: The TNA will soon take a decision about those members who have crossed over or who want to cross over. We will field new faces at the next general election. |
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