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Sri Lanka

Sri Lanka: CHA monthly situation report Jan 2006 - Eastern region

Attachments


Eastern Region
Observance of the ceasefire agreement/ the security situation/ Degree of violence / rebellion

Amparai-

10.01.06: A small-business owner from the Akkaraipattu Muslim area was shot at around 3.30 pm, and was taken to the Kalmunai hospital for treatment.

13.01.06: A Muslim man was shot to death while he was sleeping by unknown gunmen in Nainakaadu.

16.01.06: The situation in Amparai was returning to normal after the bomb blast which occurred at the Mosque on 19 November, 2005. But this was disrupted once again when two Tamil youths from Alyadevembu were killed by unidentified gunmen. The state media blamed the deaths on the LTTE.

17.01.06: The STF and Police in Akkaraipattu called for a peace meeting which was held at the Sri Dharmarathana, Singhala Vidyalaya, in which the religious leaders and priests participated.

17.01.06: Two youths were shot to death at Deans Road, Akkaraipattu while riding a motor cycle. 18.01.06:Two Muslims from Akkaraipattu and Addalaichenai were severely beaten by a Tamil mob in Alayadivembu. One man died instantly while the other succumbed to his injuries the next day.

Following the death of two Muslim persons from Addalaichennai, tension was building up and a harthal was imposed and all shops and business places were asked to be closed. In Thirukkovil no one was allowed to travel towards Akkaraipattu, and the road was blocked with tree trunks and burning tires. Another harthals was imposed by those in the Muslim community in 19, 20 and 21 January for the same reason.

22.01.06: A Special Task Force (STF) vehicle was attacked with a claymore bomb at Kannagipuram on the Akkaraipattu-Kannagipuram main road. The incident had taken place around 6.45 pm, in which four security personnel were seriously injured. Three had succumbed to their injuries.

Trincomalee-

Normal activities in the Trincomalee town have been severely affected by recent violent incidents; shops and business do not function at regular times, schools are open and closed sporadically resulting in very low attendance by the students. Security personnel are seen posted everywhere in the town bringing a constant sense of unease and unsettlement to the public. Even development work carried out by humanitarian agencies have been stopped or affected. The recent spate of killings, violent attacks and bombings have resulted in this situation. People in Muttur and Trincomalee claim that there are a number of groups behind the violence and further state that some of these groups receive political backing to carry out their violent acts. Reportedly, many of those in these groups are unemployed Muslim youths.

People who were affected by the tsunami and were temporarily seeking shelter in welfare centres, are afraid for their security and protection and are said to be making arrangements to seek refugee status in South India. Also, those who fear for their safety (and not tsunami-affected persons) are reported to be moving to other areas such as the Vanni or making plans to flee to India.

31.12.05: Police conducted a search operation with the support of security forces in Anpuvelipuram. Some Tamil youths were arrested and were released after investigation.

02.01.06: Several students were injured when a hand grenade was thrown by an unidentified group traveling by three-wheeler near the Gandhi Statue. Following the grenade attack, security personnel who were in the area began firing shots and 3 students were killed while several others were injured and had to be admitted to hospital.

Following this incident, a case was filed in the Magistrate Court against the killing and an investigation is ongoing.

02. 01.06 Police conducted a house-to-house search operation with the support of security forces in Manayaveli area. 6 Tamil youths (2 females and 4 males) were taken into police custody on suspicion following the operation. On the same day another search operation was conducted in Nilaweli, including the Nilaweli Welfare Centre.

04.01.06: A harthal was organized by the Trincomalee Students Union and all government and private institutions were closed.

05.01.06: Three army personnel were injured in grenade attack carried out at the Gandhinagar Junction, in Anpuvelipuram. One woman was injured in a shooting incident which was carried out by army personnel who are at the checkpoint immediately following the grenade attack. Another grenade attack was carried out in the Town near the post office. No injuries were reported.

06.01.06: A hand grenade attack was carried out by an unknown group at the army checkpoint in Abayapura, injuring one person.

Two Tamil youths were shot and killed in Thampalakamam by the STF. Reportedly the victims were LTTE cadres.

07.01.06: Two Navy officials were injured and 13 were missing following an attack at Foul point. Following this incident the Navy announced that people could not go out to sea for fishing from Koneswara Temple area to Foul point. Some fishermen who have passes provided by the Navy have been allowed access.

A protest rally was organized by a group of people in Anpuvelipuram and Anuradapura Junction. They were seeking the support of the government in providing the public of Trincomalee with increased security.

08.01.06: Three army personnel were injured during a shooting incident in Pachchanoor, in Muttur. Another shooting incident followed a little while later, carried out by an unidentified group traveling by van. One security person was killed and two others were injured in the incident.

08.01.06: Over 50 Tamil youths were arrested by the police in search operations carried out in Muttur following several incidents. Five youths are under police custody for further investigation and others were released.

09.01.06: Two security personnel and two LTTE cadres were killed in a shooting incident which took place in Muttur.

09.01.06: A patrol of army personnel were subjected to a claymore attack in Alarkerny, Kinniya. No one was injured.

10.01.06: A hand grenade attack was carried out by an unknown group at 3rd mile post, Nilaweli Road injuring a policeman who was on duty. Two Tamil youths were arrested by Police on suspicion.

10.01.06: A Tamil man was attacked and had to be admitted to hospital when a group of Sinhalese youths attacked him in Vijithapura.

12.01.06 - 14.01.06: The Northeast Sinhala Association organized a harthals in protest of killings of security personnel and Sinhalese civilians. All private and government institutions and businesses were closed.

17.10.06: 12 Navy personnel were injured when they were caught in a claymore attack while traveling near 3rd Mile Post. Two civilians were killed seven injured in the firing that took place following the incident. More than 50 youths were arrested by the police in the area where the incident occurred and were released after investigation.

At the sametime another grenade attack took place at Marathadi Junction in the town where two persons were injured.

19.01.06: A claymore attack was carried out by an unknown gang on an army patrol traveling on the main road near the Anuradhapura Junction. Four army personal were injured and 13 civilians were wounded in the open firing which took place after the bomb blast.

16.01.06: The Muttur Magistrate stated that any person arrested by Police or Security Personnel, should be immediately notified to the court, and that no arrests could be made based on suspicion.

14.01.06: Four persons from one family were injured in a hand grenade attack in Gandinagar, Anpuvelipuram, carried out by unidentified group.

20.01.06: Two homeguards were killed in a attack in Seruwila carried out by unknown armed group.

21.01.06: Two security personnel were injured in a bomb blast during a search operation on the main Trincomalee-Colombo road.

Batticaloa -

Transport and travel was badly affected, low-lying land areas were flooded and harvests were destroyed when heavy rains hit the Batticaloa district early in January.

Security in government-controlled areas have been strengthened following the number of incidents in the North and East. The public who enter into the Batticaloa town from suburbs are subjected to 'body-checks' by security forces. Vehicles traveling through main roads also undergo regular security checks. In addition more security personnel have been deployed in 'sensitive' areas. Public access to some areas within the High Security Zone (HSZ) are denied entry by security personnel. Police and Army sentry points also have been strengthened and road patrols and spotchecks have been increased ever than before.

30/12/2005: There was a harthal in Batticaloa for condemning the assignation of Mr.Joseph Pararajasingham, MP of the Tamil National Alliance. Normal activities in the district came to stand still due to this harthal all over the district. Public and vehicle movements were very less and not as usual. This situation affected the activities of Government, private and NGOs sector too through out the district.

02/01/2006: A 27 year old youth was shot dead by known gunmen at Vantharumoolai in Batticaloa at around 10.00am.

03/01/2006: Army Patrol came under grenade attack near the paddy-marketing store in Batticaloa at around 01.30pm. Two army personnel who were injured due to this attack were rushed to hospital for treatment.

04/01/2006: There was a complete harthal in Batticaloa in protest of the killing of five students in Trincomalee. Public and vehicle movements in Batticaloa town were very less and activities of the Government institutes, bank, schools, shops and NGOs and other enterprises came to stand still throughout the district due to this harthal.

05/01/2006: A youth was killed and another one was injured when an unidentified armed group entered into a tailor shop at Valaichchenai in Batticaloa threw grenade and shot at the youths who were in the shop at the time.

06/01/2006: Batticaloa Police found the body of a woman with cut injuries around her neck in Sinnaurani, a suburb of Batticaloa town.

06/01/2006: Sri Lanka Army (SLA) bomb squad defused a claymore mine found in Puthukudiyiruppu in Eravur along Batticaloa-Valaichenai highway at Thuraichsamy junction.

08/01/2006 : Grenade attack damaged two different houses belonging to Muslims in Meera Odai, Valaichenai in Batticaloa. The houses were located in Bathuriya Nagar and Mancholai in Meera Odai. It is said that a Muslim armed group was involved in the incidents and personal feud was behind the attacks.

08/01/2006: Government security forces gunned down a youth at Vantharumulai in Batticaloa at around 11.40pm. Forces said that they shot at him when he attempted to attack them and alleged that they found firearms in his presence. During this incident a civilian was also killed due to gunfire.

08/01/2006: A police post located near the black bridge in Batticaloa came under grenade attack at around 09.50pm. In the mean time, unknown persons lobbed grenade at a house situated on "Pioneer" road Batticaloa. But, no harm was reported due to theses attacks.

08/01/2006: Tsunami-affected people of Navalady, staged a protest in front of the office of the Divisional Secretary, Manmunai North against frequent round-ups carried out by security forces at Thiraimadu welfare centre where the affected people currently staying at temporary shelters. It is said that forces have rounded up and carried out search operations in the area nearly 18 times during the past month. Protesters dissolved from the place in the wake of the assurance given by the GA, Batticaloa after having a meeting with high rank officers from Security forces.

13/01/2006: Unidentified gunmen shot and killed a paramilitary cadre of the EPRLF group, Sinnavan, at Kallady, 2 km south of Batticaloa town.

18/01/2006: A housewife in Kali Temple Road in Eravur, Batticaloa was critically injured by an unknown gunman who entered the house and shot her with a pistol while she was talking to her husband.

19/01/2006: Three police constables and a sixteen-year old boy were killed and 17 Sri Lanka Army soldiers, 9 policemen and 8 civilians, including a woman, were wounded in a Claymore attack at Thandavanveli in Batticaloa town around 4:55 p.m.

19/01/2006: More than 76 families who displaced from Trincomalee due to the prevailing violation in the district have taken refuge in the Vaharai DS division, one of the LTTE held territories in Batticaloa district. According to the rehabilitation unit, Kachcheri, Batticaloa most of them are currently staying at Kathiraveli School while a few of them are staying with their relatives.

Subsistence Needs: Shelter

Amparai -

An organisation called the Human Development Organisation plans to construct 50 permanent houses in the Kalmunai area. Each house is estimated to cost 750, 000/- rupees. The project is funded by the French Government.

Funds are being provided by NECORD, NERP, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank to provide the second stage of housing grants in the DS divisions of Ampara , Kalmunai Muslim Division, Karaitivu, Ninthavur, and Addalaichenai.

The German Bank KFW is providing 10 million Euros for the construction of 8,000 houses in tsunami affected areas in Batticaloa and Kalmunai, in collaboration with the NHDA .

Access to Education

Amparai -

A new school was constructed and opened at Sambunagar Resettled village in the Addalaichenai Divisional Secretariat area by Akkaraipattu Zonal Director of EducationMr.U.L.M.Haseem.

Accessibility

Amparai -

The causeway on the A4 highway from Pottuvil to Akkaraipattu was washed away by the tsunami and has yet not been repaired or made motorable. The temporary repairs carried out by authorities were washed away in the recent rains.

Internal Displacement


Displacement due to recent incidents in Trincomalee District Jan 2006
DS Division
Displaced Villages
Families
No of Members
(M/F)
Less than 5
years old
children(M/F)
Muttur
Sivapuram
60 225 40
Muthur
Menkamam
100 370 48
Muttur
Bharathipuram
190 692 58
Muttur
Killvetty/Kumarapuram
197 691 74
DS Division
Displaced Villages
Families
No of Members
(M/F)
Less than 5 years
old children(M/F)
T & G
Sanakaman Village
32 121 20
Palaiyootru
33 120 22
DS Division
Displaced Villages
Families
No of
Members( M/F)
Less than 5
years old
children(M/F)
Eachchilampattu
Illangaithurai Mugathuvaram
55 108 30
Eachchilampattu
Mavadichchenai
25 80 15
Eachchilampattu
Punniaady
20 69 26
Eachchilampattu
Vaddavan
50 193 46
Eachchilampattu
Ponagar
75 281 50
Eachchilampattu
Valaithodam
44 129 36
Eachchilampattu
Mudduchcheani
33 112 23
Eachchilampattu
Eachilampathu
63 259
Eachchilampattu
Vinayagapuram
32 113



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