News - ‘All we want is security’

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‘All we want is security’

This is the plea of villagers who have fled their homes after the Kebitigollewa tragedy and who yearn to return to their villages

By Gunasinghe Herath in Kebitigollewa

We only want security, is the heartfelt cry of the villagers of Kebitigollewa and surrounding areas, who have fled their homes after the tragedy last week that left more than 60 people dead.

Refugees languishing in the Kebitigollewa school Pix by Ranjith Jayasundera

“We have not asked for jobs, highways, etc, but only security, so that we can live peacefully,” says a teacher from the area.

Many of the villagers who are afraid of another LTTE attack, have sought refuge in the Kebitigollewa school or have left their homes and are living with friends and relatives outside the village.

Although the government has assured the people of additional security and are trying to persuade them to return to their homes the people remain sceptical and are leaving in droves.

Soon after the bus tragedy about 2000 villagers from Kebitigollewa, Yakagama, Thalgahawewa, Kanugahawewa and Halmillawetiya Kelanikawewa had sought refuge in schools, but the number has been rising over the past few days, officials from voluntary welfare organisations say.

This is not the first time that these villagers are fleeing in fear of LTTE attacks.

Villagers are still leaving their homes in spite of the assurance of additional security

In October 1995 about 20 villagers in Thammennagama (close to Kebitigollewa) were killed by the LTTE. Many fled to Kebitigollewa and lived in refugee camps close to the courts complex for over three years. They returned home once the security situation improved.

After a relative period of calm, in April this year, LTTE cadres stormed Kalyanapura of Gomarankadawala village and killed seven villagers. After this attack the villagers in and around Kebitigollewa had feared the same fate and had asked for additional security. Villagers said they had spotted LTTE-ers in the area.

“We even complained to politicians and police officers. Some of the police officers ridiculed us and asked us to show the exact spot we had seen LTTE cadres,” a villager said.

The Kebitigollewa Maha Vidyalaya is not the only place where villagers have sought refuge. About 18 families had sought refuge close to Kivulkade junction. But this was long before last week’s bus tragedy.

“We arrived here on May 29 after Tigers attacked the Kalyanapura area. We had a similar experience in February 22, 1996 when 13 villagers were massacred. That time too we came over to this village and stayed until 2002. We went back home only after the ceasefire agreement was signed,” said one of the refugees who is one among those who have returned to the same place of refuge.

A passing out parade of a batch of 72 homeguards was held recently at the Puliyankulama Vidhyachakrawarthi Maha Vidyalaya. Pic by Hiran Priyankara

“The government gave us assistance to rebuild our houses and we were just getting back on our feet when this tragedy struck and we are once again refugees ,” he lamented.

Our correspondent in the area, Athula Bandara says that the facilities at the Kebitigollewa school are inadequate to meet the needs of so many refugees.

Families at the school are being provided cooked meals and steps are being taken to give them dry rations, The Sunday Times learns. Lack of water and sanitary facilities appear to be a big drawback.

Many of the refugees were concerned about the cleanliness of the drinking water and were apprehensive that their children would fall sick.

The common cry of the refugees was that they wanted to get back to their homes as soon as possible and get on with their farming and their lives.

Fisher-families face starvation

By our Mannar Correspondent

About 30,000 people have been affected by the ban on fishing and the violence in this area where a majority depend on the fishing industry for their livelihood.

A total ban on fishing was imposed last Saturday, following the clash between the LTTE and the Navy and many fishermen have been forced to seek government assistance for their day-to-day existence.

Fishing cooperatives operating in Mannar District have appealed to the Mannar District Fishing Cooperative Federation to intervene on their behalf to relax the ban, pointing out that many fishermen and their families are facing near starvation because of the total ban.

The Fishing Federation in turn has sent a memo to the Mannar District Government Agent, V.Vishvalingam seeking urgent remedial action, The Sunday Times learns.

Mr. Vishvalingam said that if the ban continued for long the fisherman would also face financial difficulties including the inability to repay loans to banks and fishing cooperatives.

He also voiced concern over schoolgoing children of the fishermen who had no option but to go to school without meals which in turn could hamper their ability to study.

He also said provisions have been made to provide dry rations to fishermen in the areas of Talai Mannar to Mullikulam and from Pesalai to Mulankawil in the Mannar district. He said the situation was so grave that fisher-families may be forced to proceed to Tamilnadu.

In addition to the fallout from the ban some fishermen charged that their boats were set on fire by the Navy after last week’s clash between the Navy and LTTE.

The Navy however, has denied this charge. They said the fire damaged equipment amounting to Rs. 28 million included nine fibre glass boats, 43 outboard motors, 10 tenements, 68 fishing nets and other domestic electrical appliances.

Nine shops too had been destroyed in the fire.

More homeguards

By Hiran Priyankara

The government is to recruit another 7000 home guards to the 10,000 strong home guard unit to provide more security to villagers vulnerable to possible LTTE attacks.

They will be recruited on the direction of the Public Security Ministry and would be given a two weeks training in handling arms by the Army, a Ministry official said.

The training centres are located in Kandakuliya, Mihintale, Ampara and Kumbuke Horana.

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