Nocturnal Displacement

Nocturnal Displacement in Mannar
Nocturnal displacement is a known phenomenon in Uganda, Africa. The people fled the Lords resistance Army and went to sleep in safe places fearing the attacks. in Sri Lanka the phenomenon is gaining new popularity. Tamils who are situated near the army camps or in buffer zones located between the LTTE and the army camps are seeking night shelter at the near by churches.
The case study of Thomaspuri and Bastipuri of Vankaalai in the Mannar District of Sri Lanka is a classic illustration.
Thomaspuri and Bastipuri are situated between two army camps. People settled in these areas in 2001 after a decade of struggle. The area was severely mined and was a conflict zone. Horizons an Indian group demined the areas and teh people were settled in 2001. In 2004 a few refugee families returned from India through the UNHCR'S Assisted Return Program an were located here.
Vankalai, having a history of violence where a catholic priest Fr Sebastian was shot a decade ago in the church. Recently, claymores have been blasting away, people have been abducted, adding to it the presence of the army camps in the areas pose fear in the minds of the Tamil people.
With the tempo of the island beating the war drums the civilians fear to sleep in their houses. Many who were interviewed said that, "we cant be sure what will happen at night". Hence all the seventy families seek refuge for the night in the Catholic church. Fr Victor the parish priest tells, "the people come here about 7:30 pm in the night. They are mortally afraid of sleeping in their own houses, they come here because they think that only god can protect them and seek sanctuary. They leave the church after sunrise"
Moorthy Martin and his family did not go to the church to sleep on the 9th of june 2006. The next day the relatives found him along with his wife and two children aged 9 and 7 respectively brutally murdered. People in the village say, "if all of us were here they would have killed us all. We will no longer stay in this village, but where will we go"
There are several stories of nocturnal migration in the area. Churches in Peaslai, and Thalai Mannar are receiving many families every night to be protected.

There are several stories of nocturnal migration in the area. Churches in Pesalai, and Thalai Mannar are receiving many families every night to be protected. On the other hand on the 9th of June about 30 families were returning home to Bastipuri from their safe haven, the church. The army personnel held them for about two hours. They were released only after they assured the army that they would not leave their homes at night. People from Bastipuri said that, “we thought that we were eligible atleast to seek refuge in the church but now they are forcing us to stay in our homes”. “we don’t believe that the army can protect us any more we have seen a fine example in the case of Moorthi Martin”.

In between then and now a lot has changed for the worse. The Colombo initiatives are rarely working it is left to the international community to respond to this crisis or to remain as spectators of such brutality that is unleashed right in front of our eyes in this era of advancement.

the fate of the returnees

The fate of Moorthy Martin, Magdalin and children - Returnees from India

Moorthi Martin, (born 02.02.1969) son of Sinniah had come to India as a refugee in 1990 and was accommodated in the Palar camp. Earlier his family was uprooted from the hill country during the communal violence of 1977 and rehabilitated in Pulliankulam in Vavuniya District.

On 25th January 1997 Moorthi married Ms.Magdalin Chitra Kulas (born 24.04.1976) of Vankalai breaking the caste norms and challenging the social order. Ms.Magdelin too was a refugee who fled to India in 1990 and accommodated in the Arcot refugees camp in Vellore District. After marriage they lived in the Arcot camp. Two children were born to them namely, Anne Deluxica on 4th April 1998 and Anne Delaxon on 4th June 2000. In the year 2002 refugees from the Arcot camp were moved to the Mettupatty Refugees camp in Namakkal District where they lived untill their return to Ceylon in December 2004 under the UNHCR - ARP scheme. Their daughter attended the Mettupatty Gov't school and the family benefitted from the various OfERR assistance programmes.

They left by Air from the Tiruchirapalli Airport and arrived at the Colombo International Airport on the 24th of December 2004. They settled down in Thomaspuri, Vankalai where Moorthi worked as a carpenter for his living. According to the well wishers of the family, Deluxica who was provided educational assistance by OfERR was so good in English that she won a district award. Delaxon on the other hand was also well known for his English skills. All four of them were brutally murdered on the night of the 9th of June 2006 allegedly by Sri Lankan Army personal .

In Vankaalai Magdelin's brothers' say that "Moorthi Martin came to this village as a single man as he did not belong to our caste or religion, but soon he won the love of all of us". He used to say that, "I don’t have any one but this village". Thus for the funeral hundreds of people came from all around just to show that he was accepted into the family and the village.

The terrible incident has created a complete disorganization in their family circles. The aged parents who lived with the Martin family are left with no succour. Magdelin used to take care of her sister's children while the sister went for work. Now the sister has lost her livelihood. The village of Thomaspuri was full of mines and the villagers could not return to it for 10 years untill 2001. Now they are back in their village, caught between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. They have to decide whether to leave the village to a safer place or continue to endure the dangers of living next to a Sri Lankan Army Camp. If they left the village, the army would occupy it and they would loose their homes forever. If they stayed they have to face the consequences.

People in the village of Thomaspuri say that this incident is a grim reminder of the butchering of Tamils by Sri Lankan Security Force that took place in 1983. Fellow villagers cry out saying, "did you come all the way from India to be butchered like this".

the fate of the returnees

The fate of Moorthy Martin, Magdalin and children - Returnees from India

Moorthi Martin, (born 02.02.1969) son of Sinniah had come to India as a refugee in 1990 and was accommodated in the Palar camp. Earlier his family was uprooted from the hill country during the communal violence of 1977 and rehabilitated in Pulliankulam in Vavuniya District.

On 25th January 1997 Moorthi married Ms.Magdalin Chitra Kulas (born 24.04.1976) of Vankalai breaking the caste norms and challenging the social order. Ms.Magdelin too was a refugee who fled to India in 1990 and accommodated in the Arcot refugees camp in Vellore District. After marriage they lived in the Arcot camp. Two children were born to them namely, Anne Deluxica on 4th April 1998 and Anne Delaxon on 4th June 2000. In the year 2002 refugees from the Arcot camp were moved to the Mettupatty Refugees camp in Namakkal District where they lived untill their return to Ceylon in December 2004 under the UNHCR - ARP scheme. Their daughter attended the Mettupatty Gov't school and the family benefitted from the various OfERR assistance programmes.

They left by Air from the Tiruchirapalli Airport and arrived at the Colombo International Airport on the 24th of December 2004. They settled down in Thomaspuri, Vankalai where Moorthi worked as a carpenter for his living. According to the well wishers of the family, Deluxica who was provided educational assistance by OfERR was so good in English that she won a district award. Delaxon on the other hand was also well known for his English skills. All four of them were brutally murdered on the night of the 9th of June 2006 allegedly by Sri Lankan Army personal .

In Vankaalai Magdelin's brothers' say that "Moorthi Martin came to this village as a single man as he did not belong to our caste or religion, but soon he won the love of all of us". He used to say that, "I don’t have any one but this village". Thus for the funeral hundreds of people came from all around just to show that he was accepted into the family and the village.

The terrible incident has created a complete disorganization in their family circles. The aged parents who lived with the Martin family are left with no succour. Magdelin used to take care of her sister's children while the sister went for work. Now the sister has lost her livelihood. The village of Thomaspuri was full of mines and the villagers could not return to it for 10 years untill 2001. Now they are back in their village, caught between the Devil and the Deep Blue Sea. They have to decide whether to leave the village to a safer place or continue to endure the dangers of living next to a Sri Lankan Army Camp. If they left the village, the army would occupy it and they would loose their homes forever. If they stayed they have to face the consequences.

People in the village of Thomaspuri say that this incident is a grim reminder of the butchering of Tamils by Sri Lankan Security Force that took place in 1983. Fellow villagers cry out saying, "did you come all the way from India to be butchered like this".