Civilians abandon Kilinochchi en masse

By Amantha Perera and Arthur Wamanan

Kilinochchi, once the central showpiece of the Tiger hold on the Wanni is being gradually abandoned.

The once bustling township that straddles the A9 for about 5 km is firmly within the crosshairs of government troops that have closed in, on it. The main road and other connecting routes are mostly empty. Most of the sounds from the roads in the last few weeks were created by hand tractors and other vehicles, loaded to the brim with everything possible, heading north towards Paranthan and then east towards Mulaithivu through Visavamadhu and Puthukuddiruppu.

Most of the civilians, Kilinochchi residents as well as the displaced, have taken the northeasterly route and have fled to the Paranthan-Mulaithivu road.

Most civilians flee

According to latest reports most of them are now staying in the Darmapuram area, about 10 km east of Paranthan. Even those living on the western edges of the highway, closer to Paranthan have moved east.

The latest humanitarian updates indicate that no civilians remain in the Iranamadu junction area, just north of Murugandi, where some IDP families were located a fortnight back.

"People are still moving towards Mulaithivu due to fear of shelling and aerial attacks. All residents of the Kangampikkaikullam and Iranamadu junctions have vacated the area," the Inter Agency Standing Committee (IASC) said last week.

The flight has been anticipated and even the Tigers had reportedly moved some of the operational and administrative sections to Puthukuddiruppu or PTK, in Wanni parlance.

One of the pluses in the area is that Darmapuram happens to have high concentrations of waterways flowing from the Iranamadu tank located south.The fleeingcivilians at least would not have to go far in search of water.

But civil authorities in the Wanni say that the open fields where civilians now remain are one mass, public defecating zone. As there are no toilets and there is unlikely to be any major construction of sanitary facilities, it is very likely to remain so.

According to Thangamuththu Santhayamurthi, the director at the Kilinochchi Hospital there is no other option for these people.

At the doorsteps

With government troops now virtually at the doorstep of Kilinochchi, the displacement of civilians has begun yet again. The IDP figure in the Wanni spiked in the last fortnight with most residents of Kilinochchi also leaving the town. What was 160,000 could now be as high as 230,000 according to the latest figures released by IASC  last week.

It said that the IDP count in the two districts of Kilinochchi and Mulaithivu could be between 200,000 to 230,000. In other words at least two of three persons in the Wanni are now displaced.

The civilian flight may have been prompted further by the relocation of all UN and other INGOs. The last remaining officials - 42 in all (29 UN and 13 from other agencies) moved out of the Wanni in a 21 vehicle convoy that left on September 16.

Even as they left aid workers spoke of constant artillery fire and air raids just outside Kilinochchi, though no close fighting involving small arms was reported within the town or just outside it. But close quarter fighting has been reported within 7 to 10 km southwest of Kilinochchi, in the Akkarayankulam area where troops have clashed with Tigers regularly in the last month.

The day before the UN convoy left Kilinochchi shelling was reported on the A9 just south of Kilinochchi, in the Murugandi area that lies about 12 km south. The Tigers said that an air raid took place in the area on the morning the aid workers' convoy passed as well. The raid had taken place around 10 am on September 16. The convoy had left Kilinochchi around 11.30.

The civilian infrastructure, especially schools and hospitals too have moved with the civilian exodus that began in June.At least 22 schools are being used in Kilinochchi as shelters, 14 health institutions, including two hospitals with a combined capacity of 200 beds too had relocated towards Kilinochchi from the southwestern frontiers in the Wanni as government troops launched renewed operations from March this year.

Pressing needs

"The most pressing needs of these people are security, health, water, shelter, sanitation and food. Local health facilities have moved along with the civilian population and are continuing to provide health services under extremely difficult conditions. The Kilinochchi District General Hospital has been receiving even more patients than usual. No large-scale health problems have yet been reported, but the approaching monsoon rains are a cause for concern," Anthony Dalziel, ICRC deputy head of delegation in Sri Lanka, said last week.

More civilians could have used the convoy and moved out of the Wanni if the Tigers had relaxed the stringent pass system it imposes on civilians resident in the Wanni. The Tigers have a policy that entire families are not allowed to move out of the Wanni and had indicated to UN and other relief agencies working there that the policy would not be relaxed to accommodate local humanitarian staff. No local staff was allowed to be part of the relocation and UN and other agencies have said that the Tigers prevented them from moving out.

If the pass system was relaxed family members of over 500 local  staff from the relief agencies could also have moved out. "In the Wanni, over 500 national staff working for NGOs stayed behind as they were not provided travel passes by the LTTE. The UN still has 21 national staff within the Wanni who did not receive passes or are staying because of their families," IASC said last week.

Local staff left in the Wanni were to be absorbed into the two GAs offices. However even by midweek UN and other agencies had not begun work in the Wanni. UN Spokesperson Gordon Weiss said that it was keen to continue with its assistance and that the UN would recommence work shortly.

"The authorities in Vavuniya have announced that a coordination point will be established at Omanthai for relief deliveries and the modalities are being determined. The government has made a commitment to facilitate the delivery of humanitarian supplies to Mulaithivu and Kilinochchi and modalities are being worked out for the UN to assist, using the logistics expertise and equipment of the WFP. Within the Wanni, the authorities have suggested that humanitarian staff left behind could support the GAs' offices in delivering relief supplies," the IASC report said.

Deeper into the Wanni

The government has said that it feels that civilians will break free from the Tiger hold as fighting gets desperately close. But all indications have shown that they still keep running deeper into the Wanni by choice or otherwise. There has been renewed international attention on the plight of civilians who cannot move to where they prefer.

"The second (concern of the Co-Chairs) is humanitarian access to care for the needs of those who are displaced and affected by the fighting, where both sides need to make sure that they're not catching civilians in the crossfire, that they're letting people go to places where they can be safe, and that humanitarian deliveries can take place for these populations that are affected by the fighting," US Assistant Secretary of State for South and Central Asian Affairs, Richard Boucher said last week after a meeting of the Co-Chairs in New York.

At the Co-Chairs meeting where there was no government representation, participants including Erik Solheim, Yasushi Akashi and EU Commissioner Ferrero-Waldner laid emphasis on the continuing role played by UN and other NGOs in the Wanni.

"The third (concern) is sort of a corollary to that, and that's our very strong support for United Nations organisations and humanitarian actors who are trying to take care of the displaced people and people affected by the fighting, working in government areas, working with the government. But we think they themselves play a very important role," Boucher said.

President Mahinda Rajapakse who addressed the UN General Assembly on September 24, the same day as the Co-Chairs meeting said that the government will continue to keep supplies moving. "Our government considers the supply of humanitarian relief to its people as its prime responsibility," he said.

"The Government of Sri Lanka continues this humanitarian policy even today although we know that the terrorists seize a good proportion of these humanitarian supplies. Our supplies are not confined to food; they extend to medicines, and all other essentials as well as schools and hospitals, with teachers, doctors, nurses, and all other essential staff. This is not all, the government also purchases paddy and other foodstuff produced in those areas. I do not think there is any country in the world where there is a government that provides such humanitarian assistance to terrorists that attack it."

Convoy of supplies

The government is planning to send a convoy of 60 supply vehicles into the Wanni soon. "We held meetings with WFP officials in Vavuniya last week and we have planned to send 60 lorries of essential items in one instance during this week. These goods will be for both Kilinochchi and Mulaithivu Districts. We have not planned on a specific date to send the goods. But, definitely this week," Kilinochchi Government Agent Nagalingam Vedanayagam said.

President Rajapakse also told the General Assembly that the UN and the ICRC had pledged their support to the government's effort. The Co-Chairs also backed a larger UN role assisting the humanitarian efforts.

"The government, especially as a democratic government, as it moves forward militarily, needs to pay special attention to the protection of human rights for the citizens in the areas that they take over, special attention as they proceed with the fighting to respect the civilian population, and also to work with the international organisations, the United Nations especially, to make sure that the humanitarian assistance that these people need is provided in a smooth fashion," Boucher said.

One of the key issues that still remains is security. With fighting almost on the A9, relief agencies say they are concerned of their safety and of the staff left behind in the Wanni on top of the concerns over civilians.

"As fighting escalated in recent weeks, security increasingly became an issue of concern. The ICRC maintains daily contacts with the Sri Lankan security forces and the LTTE. This allows us to obtain the security guarantees the organisation needs to be present and carry out its work in the field," said ICRC Deputy Head, Dalziel last week.

There is no doubt whatsoever that aid officials feel that the fighting will spill over to the A9 and the highway itself would become impassable closer to the town  as troops close in on Kilinochchi. With that in mind the route the food and supply  convoys take has been changed. It will now travel towards Mulaithivu.

The route

"The route to send these goods has changed. We will be sending the goods through Mankulam-Oddisuddan-Puthukuddiruppu-Mulaithivu and then to Kilinochchi via the Paranthan-Mulaithivu road," Kilinochchi GA Vedanayagam said.

This is the same route that the Defence Secretary has advised the IDPs to take, an indication that the government would try to keep that route clear for civilian travel.

The Co-Chairs said that they came out with their concerns so that both sides get the message - "one of the reasons for making the humanitarian concerns public is so that the Tigers get the message, as well as the people on the government side," Boucher said.

The fear is that as the din of the fighting rises to raucous levels, whether the voices of the Co-Chairs would get drowned.

Plight of the Muslim IDPs and charges of Sinhalisation

By Dhashrath

The resettlement of Muslims evicted from the north is still in limbo with more than 125,000 persons in temporary shelters for the last 18 years.

Most of the Muslims who were evicted from the north, were from the Musali area in Mannar, which was regained by the government recently. Some of them came from Kilinochchi as well.

However, the Muslims belonging to the Musali areas and living in Puttalam are yet to be resettled in their own villages. The Muslims now fear that their areas in Mannar would be handed over to the Sinhalese as the government has not communicated anything to them with regard to their resettlement.

The Musali People's Parliament (MPP) is one of the associations that represent the northern Muslims and has voiced the issues faced by this particular community during the last 18 years. Little has been done about this crisis however, with people still living under the same conditions with hardly any improvements over the last 18 years, according to its President, S.M.A. Niyas.

Appalling conditions

The displaced continue to live in appalling conditions with very little assistance from the government and the other authorities, according to Niyas. According to the MPP, more than 125,000 persons belonging to the community live in Puttalam and parts of Anuradhapura, most of them in temporary shelters that are badly maintained.

There were around 85,000 persons at the time they were forcibly evicted from their homes nearly two decades ago. The important fact that has to be noted is that these people from Musali have not been resettled to date, nor have any attempts being made, despite the fact that the areas have been regained from the LTTE. The question that now arises is as to why the government has not taken any steps to resettle the Muslim IDPs in their hometowns, even after the areas have been 'liberated' from the Tigers.

The political parties representing the community, one feels, have not addressed these issues adequately. One reason for this could be the fact that the country is now facing several other issues, ranging from the war in the north to the economic problems affecting the whole country. These issues have gradually overshadowed the plight of the Muslim IDPs, who ironically were brought to this situation largely due to the ethnic war.

The SLMC however said that it was in touch with the community. SLMC General Secretary Hasan Ali had earlier said that the resettlement of the Muslim IDPs was largely linked to finding a solution to the prevailing ethnic conflict, which has plagued this country for the past three decades.

Questions

With government troops closing in on the LTTE strongholds in the Wanni, the IDPs have begun to question as to why the government had not taken any action to resettle them in areas that have already been liberated.

Niyas alleged that the government was trying to settle Sinhalese in the Muslim areas, thereby making it a Sinhala colony. "It is very evident that the government is trying to make the Musali area, a Sinhala colony. For example, Silavathurai is predominantly a Muslim area where some Sinhalese lived near the town. Today, most of these Sinhala people have moved into the town areas and have started to live there," Niyas noted.

According to him, this is the same thing which had happened in the east as well after being liberated.

The TNA, which criticised the government for renaming Tamil places in Sinhala, has kept quiet on the issue of the northern Muslims. The only visible action that was taken by the TNA to address the issues of the Muslims was the appointment of Rizwan Mohammed Imam as a National List MP. No steps have been taken by the TNA, which represents the Tamil speaking population in the north and east that also includes the Muslims, to look into their grievances.

Denied charges

The government has however vehemently denied charges that Sinhalese were being resettled in Muslim areas in Mannar. Minister of Resettlement and Disaster Relief Services, Rishad Bathiudeen stated that the government was not resettling Sinhalese in Muslim areas. The government's reason for not resettling the Muslim people is that the infrastructure has not been completed in these villages.

The Minister said that Muslims would only be resettled after the basic infrastructure in these areas is developed. "These areas are in a very bad shape. First of all, we should develop the infrastructure and then resettle the people," he noted. He had earlier stated that the government was continuing to assist the Muslim IDPs by providing them with food and essential items.

The reason put forward by the government though reasonable, is far from convincing. The Muslim IDPs in Puttalam  recently faced several problems with regard to the usage of resources allocated to Puttalam, which resulted in clashes with the host community.

Though the issues have died down, there is still a strong possibility of the tension between these two communities increasing if the IDPs continue to live in the area, or if no action is taken by the government to allocate resources satisfying both parties.

These IDPs, as the others in the country are in a helpless situation, depending on the help provided by the state and relief organisations. They have suffered for 18 years. Only time will tell whether they would continue living this life or whether they would go back to their homes and live on their own as before.