Military deny evicting Muslims
The military in Sri Lanka have denied accusations that they evicted Muslim settlers in the east to expand a High Security Zone (HSZ).
A spokesman for Media Centre for National Security (MCNS) told BBC Sandeshaya that the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has no intention of evicting residents from Arafa Nagar. However, Muslim residents said SLA officials on Friday expanded the borders of the already established HSZ in Muttur, Trincomalee. New borders of HSZ Jameed Ahmed, a resident of Arafa Nagar, told BBC Sandeshaya that earmarking new borders the military officials urged the residents to leave the village with immediate effect. "We pointed out that we have already cultivated lands and spent a lot of money. But the officers said the HSZ is already established in a Gazette notification," Ahmed said. 251 people of 67 families have resettled in Arafa Nagar after a senior SLA official authorised the resettlement in early March this year, refugees say. Evicted by LTTE "The military officer in charge of the nearby camp told us in March that Arafa Nagar is not included in HSZ," Ahmed told BBCSinhala.com. The Muslim farmers who were made refugees as a result of escalating violence in Muttur in August last year, were evicted in 1985 from Arfar Nagar by Tamil Tigers. The LTTE who chased these farmers out of their ancestral land also changed the name of this the village Amman Nagar. 251 refugees are currently housed in a school in Paali Nagar. Some other refugees who did not move back to Arafar Nagar in March are staying with relatives and friends.