The people who are displaced from border villages in the east face many problems. However other communities get assistances through some NGOâs or CBOâs (community base organization) than the Singhalese communities. Specially Sinhalese people from Ampara face bias in assistance with no voice or eye focusing on their worries and I would like to focus on this in this report.
In the eastern province, since 1983, over 100 villages with people from all three communities were destroyed or villagers were displaced due to the civil war between the LTTE and government. Villages, which were in LTTE-controlled area as well as on the borderline, were affected. Villages in government-controlled area were less affected.
After Black July of 1983, there was displacement of the Singhalese community from the eastern province such as from Batticaloa, Muhathuvaram, Kalkudha, Mankerni, Pullu malai area etc. In Trincomalee villages from Kantale, Somapura were affected.
In Ampara areas of Karadianaru, Pullumalai and Badulla people in border villages were displaced.
After the MOU the Singhalese community felt more safer compared to the time when there was blood shed and people were massacred by the LTTE. However, they were still worried that these attacks, which escalated in the 1990s, could happen again.
Now they are feeling the same fear. Because of LTTE revenge and an attempt to divert the concentration of government forces from the battlefield from what is happening in Vakarai and Amparai.
A few months ago they had such an experience in Kepity Kollawa and Kantale and Serunuwera people were displaced because of Sampoor clearance. Now the government forces are closing in on a Vaharai victory. The only base in the eastern province for the LTTE is Topigala base. So they may withdraw from Vaharai and head south to Topigala in Ampara district. Today, around 400 cadres under the leadership of Nagesh tried to move from Vakarai south towards Kirimichchai. Therefore the government forces already started the operation against the LTTE in side of Kanchchukudichcharu and surrounding areas to prevent this movement.
If the government forces start a major operation inside the Kokkadichcholai and other LTTE controlled area, LTTE may target civilian places in Ampara. People fear there could be attacks against Singhalese villages. In the 1990s the TNA (Tamil National Army) created by Indian forces used to withdraw through these border villages when they were fighting with the LTTE. Now these are close to LTTE controlled areas. Already âMangala Gamaâ and surrounding area people move to safe places during night time and return during the day. A wood collector in an Ampara border village said, âour family depends on my daily wage. Now I canât go to the jungle due to fear of LTTEâ. A woman said âwe were already displaced from another border village, we are facing lack of resources such as water for cultivation.â
Normally the NGOs also donât provide proper assistance for our community, she said. For example one INGO started a water sanitation hygiene program in Ampara border village areas but they didnât include any Sinhalese villages, which the people there feel is unfair.
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