Over 1,500 inmates of a camp of internally displaced persons in Konapulam, near Kankesanthurai, of the Jaffna district were taken by surprise on Sunday when President Maithripala Sirisena made an impromptu visit to their place and enquired on their well being.
Giving an account of the President’s visit to the camp, Angajan Ramanathan, regarded as one of the Members of Parliament belonging to the camp of Mr. Sirisena in the Sri Lanka Freedom Party (SLFP), told The Hindu that a cross section of the inmates interacted with the President, who spent nearly 45 minutes at the camp.
The people pointed out to the President that they were displaced from their original places such as Palaly and Mailady 25 years ago during the civil war and since then, their living conditions had been miserable.
Mr. Sirisena, who later took part in an event organised by the government on Jaffna Municipal Grounds in connection with Christmas, alluded to critics of his policy on reconciliation and said “the people who hold media conferences in Colombo and talk of the national security having been compromised should visit Jaffna and see for themselves the reasons for the war,” according to a release issued by the President’s Media Division.
He said such persons should not abuse freedom of expression, through their speeches in Parliament and the media. Instead, they should use it to promote “peace, harmony and reconciliation,” as also shun “petty party politics.” Efforts should be made to ensure that there would not be another war in the country.
While stressing that he would do everything to protect the national security, Mr. Sirisena said he would constitute a task force to address all the problems concerning the IDPs in six months.
Last week in Parliament, Prime Minister Ranil Wickremesinghe said the government hoped to return more private lands, now held by the Army, to legitimate owners. He emphasised the need for economic development of Jaffna. Minister for Rehabilitation and Resettlement D.M. Swaminathan had said about 8,000 acres of private lands were still under the control of the forces and they would be “gradually released.”
