CHA SITUATION REPORT EASTERN PROVINCE (Ampara, Batticaloa and Trincomalee) September 2006 General Situation Ampara The security situation has worsened and personal security is not assured. The media reports on incidents are partial or presented to the public with the interest of the media. There is a shortage of water in the district due to the prevailing dry season. Though there is occasional rain in the interior of the Ampara District, the coastal belt has not had any proper rain except for a few scattered showers. As per the report of UNHCR there are one thousand three hundred and fifty–three IDPs in the Ampara District, who had come from Trincomalee. There are thirty–three in Addalaichenai, forty– six in Akkaraipattu, four hundred and twenty–five in Alayadivembu, five hundred and fifty in Kalmunai, thirty in Navithanvelli, thirty–one in Sainthamaruthu, and two hundred and thirty–eight in Thirukkovil. A wild elephant killed a 27–year–old father of four. The incident took place while he was watching over the crop in the paddy field. Persons engaged in paddy cultivation close to the jungle in the Ampara District are prone to wild elephant attacks. Six incidents were reported from Ampara, Puttuvil, Uranny, Sangamankandy, Oluvil and Panama this year. Special Report There have been more killings and abductions during the month. The worst incident was the killing of ten Muslim youths at “Eathalkulam” area. On the 18th of September, eleven youths who had gone to renovate a tank bund did not return home. Family members of the victims have found the bodies the next day, blindfolded and hands tied. The victims’ throats had been slit and hacked with a sharp weapon. The sole survivor of the attack was admitted to the Pottuvil Hospital for treatment and was later transferred to Kalmunai. The situation in the district worsened by the next day. The Muslim community held a protest on the 20th of September demanding that the OIC of the STF be transferred. The protesters at Periyamulla waylaid a three–wheeler transporting rations and vegetables to the STF camp; the protesters threatened the driver who was transporting the goods. Batticaloa Security in government–held areas of the Batticaloa District has been strengthened following a number of incidents in the east. A number of abductions and killings by unidentified group are being 1 reported. Sri Lanka Army (SLA) troops were deployed in the streets. Some main roads near Police station and Army camps were closed after 06.00 p.m. (DO Observation) The LTTE Deputy Head of Batticaloa District stated that on the 20th of September, the Sri Lanka Air Force (SLAF) Kfir fighters flew air sorties over areas near residential homes in the LTTE–controlled territory in the district. Security Issues Adherence to, or Violation of, Human Rights Standards Two police constables, attached to the Thirukkovil Police Station, sustained severe injuries when they were attacked at Thambiluvil. One Tamil youth was shot in the retaliatory attacks. The injured constables were admitted to the Ampara Hospital. On the 06th of September, severe fighting erupted between the Karuna faction and the LTTE at Kanjikudichcharu, an LTTE–controlled area, when the Karuna faction attacked a LTTE camp. The attack started began early in the morning. Most civilians left the village. The LTTE insisted that they should remain and, except for the elders, all others left the village. Tamil people living in the LTTE–controlled area of Paduvankarai, Batticaloa District face starvation and danger of health hazards due to the closure of all the entry points from government–controlled Eluvankarai. The gateways to this area are Ampilanthurai and Manmunai ferries, boat services in Kinnayady and Santhively, bridges at Paddiruppu, Vavunathivu, Chenkalady and Kiran, and access roads via Kavaththaimunai and Vaharai. Batticaloa District Volunteer Teachers, who have been on a hunger strike and picketing in front of the Zonal Education Office on rotational basis for the last three weeks, demanded permanent appointments. The protest was held to draw the attention of religious leaders of all faiths, politicians, and Government officers, in support of their demands. An unidentified group shot dead a woman at Vantharumoolai. The group came to her residence at Vakehouse Road, Vantharumoolai and open fired at her. The victim was a mother of four children. The Tamil Rehanilitation Organisation (Vaharai Branch) stated that Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs), staying at the Palsenai Government Tamil Mixed School in Vaharai division in the LTTE– controlled area in the Batticaloa District, have been facing food and accommodation problems. Unidentified gunmen shot and killed a former paramilitary cadre of Eelam Peoples Democratic Party (EPDP), in Eravur. The 28–year–old father of two was shot dead while returning along School Road in Eravur, after closing his shop for the day. A group of paramilitary cadres, who claimed that they were conducting a search operation in the area, took three persons and shot them by the side of the road. The owner of a hairdressing saloon, and a resident of Pattiyadichenai, was brought out of his house located along School Road and shot dead. The paramilitary cadres assaulted the victim’s pregnant wife. ICRC personnel transported two wounded civilians to the Valaichchenai Hospital. The wounded were later transferred to the Batticaloa Hospital. 2 On the 08th of September, the Sri Lanka counter–insurgency Special Task Force (STF) personnel, operating the Kaluwanchikudy–Paddiruppu Bridge, prohibited the entry of vehicles to LTTE– controlled territory in the Batticaloa District. Only Government officials, including Grama Niladhari Officers and Samurdhi workers, were allowed to entre from Sri Lanka Army (SLA) controlled areas to LTTE–controlled areas. Civilians from the LTTE–controlled area were allowed to entre SLA areas. STF personnel did not allow vehicles, including bicycles, to cross the bridge. On the 11th of September, the Sri Lanka Police shot and killed two LTTE cadres, in an ambush, at Karuwakkerny Vikneswara Vidyalayam in Valaichenai. The Police recovered two pistols, three hand grenades and two cyanide capsules. The bodies were handed over to the Valaichchenai Hospital. On the 12th of September, SLA and LTTE exchanged artillery fire for about one hour in Kadjuwatte located along the border of SLA and LTTE–controlled areas in Valaichchenai. Military sources stated that the LTTE launched artillery and mortar attack on SLA camp in Kadjuwatte from 10.30 p.m. and the SLA retaliated. Both sides revealed neither details of injuries nor casualties, in the fight. Residents living closer to the area had fled from their houses when the fighting erupted. Large number of SLA soldiers began a cordon and search operation in the area. Two policemen attached to the Kaluwanchchikkudy Police Station were shot dead by unidentified gunmen while they were travelling with two other colleagues, in Batticaloa bound a passenger bus. The injured Constables were rushed to the Batticaloa Teaching Hospital, where they succumbed to their injuries. Police alleged that LTTE pistol group had waylaid the bus and fired at the Policemen who were on a private visit to Batticaloa. Unidentified persons shot dead a 35–year–old farmer, a father of two children, at his residence located at Moonkilady Road, Vantharumoolai. The victim had been also working as a tractor driver. The gang had entered the victim's house forcibly and fired at him when he did not open the door. His body was handed over to his relatives after a post–mortem at the Eravur Hospital. Two children of displaced families from Muttur East have died of diarrhoea at the Vaharai Hospital. A displaced medical doctor from Eachilampattu, working at Vaharai Hospital, says that the IDPs in Vaharai are facing health hazards. However, a displaced person says that they are not prepared to return home, "at least until a situation that prevailed prior to April 25, is returned to our areas." Health Needs Ampara A free health clinic was organised and held by the Kalmunai North Social Development Organisation, near the Masoor Moulana playground at Maruthamunai. The Centre for Human Development in Ampara (CHDA) conducted an awareness programme on health for the IDPs who had arrived from Trincomalee. These IDPs are at the Karitivu Vipulananda Welfare Centre and at the Nathan Welfare Centre at Pandiruppu. Breast feeding, vaccinations and precautions were some of the valuable areas discussed. Water and Sanitation 3 Canadian Agro Sustainability Programme (CASP) has planned to conduct awareness programmes on Solid Waste Management (SWM) for the schoolchildren in the Ampara District. The programme is for schools on the coastal belt of the district – Sammanthurai 3, Akkaraipattu 4 and Kalmunai 3. Two workshops have been already conducted, one at Akkaraipattu and the other at Kalmunai. A SWM coordination body has been formed. As per the Secretary of the coordination body, the response from the schoolchildren is very encouraging; the schoolteachers too are much interested in the programme. Shelter (Types of Settlements, Building Materials Used, Space, Site Selection) Providing permanent houses for tsunami affected people of the coastal area is in progress. Under this scheme forty–seven acres of land has been allocated in Ismailpuram. Sammanthurai has been selected and the construction of four hundred houses is underway. The German Red Cross and IMRC are undertaking the programme. Each house is being constructed at a cost of Rs. 1.2 million. The first two hundred houses will be handed over to the selected victims, in March 2007. Ismailpuram will become a model village of four hundred families with all the basic needs such as electricity, water and transportation facilities. The tsunami victims of Kalmunai, Karaitivu, Sainthamaruthu and Maruthamunai will be provided with permanent houses, which will be constructed as flats. Due to the shortage of land in the Kalmunai DS area, the paddy lands in the western side are being filled with soil for the construction.