IDPs Resettled in North
Yesterday over 40000 IDPs resettled in 4 northern districts in Vavuniya, Mullaitivu, Mannar and Kilinochchi of Srilanka. These areas formally controlled by LTTE and due heavy landmines the process of resettlement delayed for few months. However the landmine clearing process id still carried out by Srilanka ARMY and other Non government Organizations.
Senior President adviser and the Chairman of the Presidential Task Force for the North Development, Mr. Basil Rajapaksha and several other MPs including Tamil Alliance have participated to the event.
Basil Rajapaksa at the function said that Sri Lanka is the only country in the world that speedily resettled a large number of displaced persons who were affected by a civil war. He challenged those who criticize the government’s resettlement drive to name a country, if any, which implemented such an accelerated resettlement program.
Each families resettled given home needs and financial aid by government.
Vavuniya District: 8643 persons of 2583 families
Mannar District: 631 persons from 2644 families
Mullaitivu District: 16394 persons of 4415 families
Kilinochchi District: 0017 persons of 2453 families
President Mahinda Rajapaksha Has given a letter to each IDP resettled yesterday.
The Letter:
My Dear Citizens
I write to you at an important time you when you are on the threshold of a new beginning in life. You are today being moved to the familiar surroundings of your former home, or very close to it.
I am aware that the sufferings your family have undergone are many, and for very long too. These hardships were imposed on you and all other Tamil citizens who have suffered alike, by a ruthless organization that was committed to terror to achieve its narrow objectives, for which the Tamil people were made unwilling pawns. They claimed to be the liberators of the noble Tamil community. As their strategies began to fail, you were herded from place to place, and denied the food, medicine and other essentials that were sent for you. Your children, and even the elders among you, were compelled to carry arms for these forces of terror..
I fully understand that this was not the aspiration of the Tamil people of our country. Finally, you were made displaced persons in your own motherland, after holding you as human shields and hostages for the safety of those who shed so much blood of your own people. Your innocence in all this is recognized today.
That period of immense tragedy is now over, as are the temporary hardships you faced as internally displaced persons. You are moving on to a new life, in the company of family and friends. You will find new and welcome challenges of the future. My Government has done much to make your new life most acceptable to you, providing the needs for a quality of life to enhance your dignity as a person.
The most cherished asset you have today are your children, who you have sheltered as best as your could. This is the time to ensure that your children are guided by you to benefit from the new facilities that are being provided for them and ensure that they are never again allowed to be misled by false prophets or saviours. Together you can build a new life and look to benefit from the many opportunities that will be available in the tranquility of peace and friendship.
I wish you and your family every success and the choicest blessings for the future, with your dreams of success coming true, when we can all live together as members of a single family in our motherland.
Sincerely,
Mahinda Rajapaksha
