Norwegian Backed Terrorists Tigers fear anger of starving cadres

Fearing that the rising anger of the starving Tamil Tiger cadres in
Vaharai might hit the Tiger high command desperate attempts are being
made by the hierarchy in Killinochchi to force the Sri Lanka Government
to send lorry loads of food and other essential commodities to the
areas controlled by them. Along with the LTTE cadres there are 12,000
Tamil families, more than 80 percent of which are Internally Displaced
Persons (IDPs) from the villages around Mavilaru, and from Sampur,
Muthur and Kiliveddi. These civilians are used as human shields by the
Tigers. These IDPs were not allowed to move out of the uncleared region
to the Government controlled area.
On 18 November 10 lorry loads of food and medicine were sent by the Sri
Lanka Government from Valaichchenai to Vaharai via Mankerni.

This is according to the undertaking given by the President Mahinda
Rajapakse to the Tamil National Alliance.

At the Mankerni Entry / Exit point of the Forward Defence Line of the
Sri Lanka Army these Lorries were prevented from leaving for Vaharai.
Subsequently these Lorries were cleared and sent on their way to
Vaharai.

When these Lorries were in the no-man's areas of Panichankerni,
Kattumurippu the stranded IDPs trapped in these areas unloaded more
than six lorries for their consumption. LTTE-controlled media described
them as "looters" or as "Sinhalese mobs." But official sources say that
the "looting" was done by IDP Tamils.

To verify those people behind the blocking and unloading of the food
lorries sent by Sri Lanka Government to the Tamil IDPS in Vaharai,
Tamil Makkal Viduthalai Pulikal (TMVP) led by Venayagamoorthy
Muralitharan (alias Colonel Karuna) sent a delegation to Kirimichchai,
Kattumurippu and Panichankerni to ascertain the people behind these
acts of "lootings" alleged to be "Sinhalese" by the LTTE-controlled
news media and a handful of international news agencies.

According to Azad Moulana, the newly appointed media spokesman of the
TMVP, a delegation of their commanders Markan, Jeyam, Riyaseelan and
Sutty Kumar who were in the region found them all to be starving Tamil
IDPs and the residents of Kirimichchai, Kattumurippu and Panichankerni
were the people involved in blocking and unloading the food lorries
meant for Vaharai.

Accordingly the TMVP's delegation went to the areas on Saturday
evening, and managed to bring about 600 families trapped in
Kirimichchai, Kattumurippu and Panichankerni villagers safely to
Mankerni, the government controlled areas.

Azad Moulana told Asian Tribune out of the 600 families who trekked
into Mankerni half of them were original residents of these villages.

It seems that residents told TMVP delegation that they are not even
allowed to take water from the water bowsers by the LTTE cadres. They
said that whatever water is left over by the LTTE cadres are available
for their consumption.

In the meantime TMVP spokesman said that they were now engaged in
making arrangements to bring the starving IDPs trapped in Vaharai to
Valaichchenai as this would be the safest location for the IDPs free
from shelling and the artillery fire of the LTTE.

He said that they are planning to contact Ameer Ali Shihabdeen,
Minister of Disaster Relief Services, to make necessary lodging
arrangements for the IDPs whom they intend to bring from Vaharai.

In the meantime R.Sampanthan Parliamentary Leader of the Tamil National
Alliance a proxy party of the LTTE has sent a letter to Mahinda
Rajapakse reminding the Sri Lanka President of their meeting with him
on 16 November regarding the plight of 12,000 families trapped in the
Kathiraveli and Vaharai in the areas controlled by the separatists
Tamil rebel outfit.

The Tamil Tigers which received millions of dollars through the NGOs
and INGOs under its control have failed to feed those families under
their control.

Their aim has been to worsen the humanitarian crisis caused by
blocking, looting or siphoning off the supply of food and other
essential items. After blocking the supplies the Tigers have lanced a
massive propaganda campaign blaming the government. The Tigers are
using every ploy available to force the government to give into their
demand of opening A 9 road. But eastern sources say that this ploy will
backfire if they can't feed their own cadres.

"If the LTTE is not in a position to feed the starving Tamils living in
the region under their control, then what is the use of claiming that
they control a section of the Tamil areas," asked Azad Moulana.

He added that the international community should understand the
duplicitous role played by the Vanni Tigers.
Eastern residents insist that the international community should find
out what the LTTE has done with millions of dollars they have received
from various governments such as Ireland, Norway, Italy etc.

In the Tamil Diaspora, the main funding source of the Tamil Tigers, it
is said that some of these monies have been set aside and transferred
to Prabakarans wife and three children who maintains a comfortable life
style in Dublin and Belfast. Large sums of money are also allotted for
their higher education.

Here is the full text of the letter sent to the President by
Sampanathan:

Starvation of 12,000 Tamil families in the Vaharai and Kathiravelli
When we met you on the 16th of November 2006 together with your
Secretary and Principal Advisor, we raised with you the plight of the
12,000 Tamil families in the above areas who had not been supplied with
food, medicine or other essentials for almost three weeks, and who were
consequently undergoing much human suffering. Your Principal Advisor
clearly told us that Vakarai and Kathiravelli would receive supplies by
that evening, the 16th of November 2006. We were greatly relieved.

On the 17th of November, ten lorry loads of food were sent from the
Batticaloa Kachcheri to Vakarai and Kathiravelli, along with the
Divisional Secretary of the area. The lorries were stopped at
Navalladdy - Cobra Bridge - some kilometers south of Maankerni Army
checkpoint by the Armed Forces, and directed to return. One Brigadier
Ratnayaka had later telephoned the Government Agent and told him that
no more Lorries should be sent to Vakarai and Kathiravelli areas, and
that steps should be taken to evacuate the people living in the said
areas.

We raised this matter in Parliament on the 18th of November 2006.

Hon. Minister Jeyaraj Fernandopulle, who intervened on behalf of the
Government having spoken to the Defence Secretary and others in the
military establishment, gave an assurance in Parliament that eight
lorry loads with food would go to Vakarai and Kathiravelli on that very
day the 18th. Accordingly eight lorries left the Batticaloa Kachcheri,
with the Additional Government Agent, the Divisional Secretary and
Assistant Divisional Secretary. They were stopped at the Maankerni
checkpoint and could not proceed further. They were directed to return
to Batticaloa.

No food has been sent to Vakarai and Kathiravelli after the 27th of
October 2006, on which date a meagre supply sufficient only for a
limited number of people was sent. An adequate supply was last sent on
the 20th of October.

You will thus appreciate that for a period of over three weeks, no
food, medicine or other essentials has been sent to the people in these
areas.

These 12,000 Tamil families comprise of around 38,000 persons - men,
women and children. Of these families around 3,500 families are
permanent residents of Vakarai and Kathiravelli, and the other 8,500
families are internally displaced people from the villages in the
south, southeast and southwest of the adjoining Trincomalee District.

These persons are facing malnutrition, disease and starvation. A grave
humanitarian disaster is imminent.

I have to request that food, medicine and other essentials be urgently
rushed to the people of Vakarai and Kathiravelli, and that you kindly
intervene personally and take every necessary step to ensure that this
is done.

Yours sincerely,

R. Sampanthan,
TNA Parliamentary Group Leader & MP for Trincomalee Electoral District