 Realising its strategic importance and in a bid to quell the rising threat of Tamil Nationalism, Manal Aru was renamed as Weli Oya (Sinhalese translation of the Tamil name) and an attempt was sought to colonise the area, with Sinhalese.A total of 13,288 Tamil families living in 42 villages for generations including Kokkulai Grama Sevakar Division (1,516 Tamil families), Kokku–Thoduvai Grama Sevakar Division (3,306 Tamil families), Vavunia North Grama Sevakar Division (1,342 Tamil families), other Divisions of Mullaitivu District including Naiyaru and Kumulamunai (2,011 Tamil families) were asked to vacate their homes and farmlands within 48 hours to clear the area from unauthorised land-grabs.Most of these families were settled in these areas by the government to the resentments of the neighboring landless Sinhalese majority.