No More Refugee Camps in Wanni: Final Batch Moves to Their Original Villages
The final group of displaced people, hitherto remained in the famous Manik Farm Relief Village at Vavuniya since they were brought for residence there as the war for peace was entering a decisive phase, took leave of their ‘refugee centre’ for ever and moved into their original villages, Theppavil and Manduvil for permanent resettlement on Monday (24) after a special ceremony.
Of them, 1186 civilians belonging to 110 families chose resettlement in Theppavil village while 251 families moved into Manduvil area, both villages in Mullaittivu district after a brief ceremony, attended by Major General M.H.S.B Perera, Commander, Security Forces Headquarters-Wanni (SFHQ-W) and a few more senior officers.
The Manik Farm Relief Village, the well-known refugee centre for displaced people in Wanni as the war was reaching its apex in the first half of the year 2009, accommodated as many as some 3 lakhs of displaced people. To coincide with the government’s programme for speedy resettlement, the Army assisted those returning people in many ways by way of providing tinted sheets, timber, bricks, cement, sand, etc.
SFHQ-W has also instructed to continue follow-up action in relation to their resettlement in Mullaittivu since those returnees would be in need of many other peripheral requirements, in addition to water, electricity and sanitary facilities.
