Political pawns

TAMIL MP A Thangathurai told Parliament on 8 May that the Rehabilitation Ministry has refused to recognise 60,000 new refugees who arrived in the Vanni on the mainland from Jaffna after Operation Sunray II in April. Hundreds of people demonstrated before the Kilinochchi Government AgentÆs office two days earlier demanding food aid. The new refugees have increased the burden of welfare agencies which are struggling to feed the 220,000 refugees who fled to the Vanni after Operation Sunray I in December.

The LTTE has appealed to NGOs to provide food to the new refugees. NGOs point out that the government has the primary responsibility to feed the population and NGOs can only supplement government aid. The government asserts that refugee figures are exaggerated and insists that Vanni refugees must return to Jaffna. In the first 13 days of May only 310 lorry-loads of food were allowed into the Vanni across the Army checkpoint at Thandikulam, although the military agreed to allow 50 lorries each day. Food transport was again disrupted in May after Tamil group PLOTE demanded taxes from lorry owners.

Although NGOs remain gravely concerned about food and medical supplies nutritional surveys do not show high percentage of malnutrition. However NGOs warn that if the current situation is not checked, disaster may follow. Drought remains the major danger. Some tanks and wells are completely dry and others down by 70%. This yearÆs major Maha rice harvest will be badly hit. All of this will increase pressure on people to return to Jaffna.

Reports say 800 people in Army-controlled areas of Vavuniya have applied to return. Some 100 government officers were airlifted to Jaffna in early May. In the absence of a land route and the lagoon crossing at Kilali in the hands of the Army the only way to Jaffna for those in Tiger-held territory is south through Vavuniya town.

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