Weli Oya Divisional Secretariat

Weli Oya Divisional Secretariat
Village
Weli Oya Divisional Secretariat
Coordinates: 9°07′0″N 80°48′0″E / 9.11667°N 80.80000°E / 9.11667; 80.80000
Country Sri Lanka
Province Northern
District Mullaithivu District

Weli Oya Divisional Secretariat,[1] (Tamil: Manal Aru) is a Divisional Secretariat in Mullaithivu District in Northern province in Sri Lanka. A body of running water moving to a lower level in a channel on land is called Manal Aru in Tamil. Weli Oya has been affected by the Sri Lankan civil war and government colonization programs.

History

Weli Oya was known as Manal Aru traditionally before the launch of government colonization programs.[2] It is hemmed between Anuradhapura, Mullaitivu, Trincomalee and Vavunia Districts. It is called the "border village" (s) since the territory north of Weli Oya was previously under the control of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam.

Colonization in 1984

A total of 13,288 Tamil families living in 42 villages for generations including Kokkulai Grama Sevakar Division (1516 Tamil families), Kokku –Thoduvai Grama Sevakar Division (3306 Tamil families), Vavunia North Grama Sevakar Division (1342 Tamil families), Other Divisions of Mullaitivu District including Naiyaru and Kumulamunai ( 2011 Tamil families) were asked to vacate their homes and farmlands within 48 hours on pain of eviction by force in case of default. This threat was issued by the army over the public address system.[2]

Simultaneously land given to 14 Tamil entrepreneurs, including Kent Farm and Dollar Farm, on 99 years lease was also cancelled and taken over by the government. Settlements in the Manal Aru began in 1984 as a dry zone farmer colony under the land Commission, but it was later acquired by the Sri Lanka Mahaweli Economic Agency in 1988 and declared as the Mahaweli ‘L’ zone.[2] The land was officially renamed Weli Oya on April 16, 1988.

Tamil opposition to settlement in the area by Sinhalese led to violence through the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam which attacked the Kent and Dollar Farm settlement at Weli Oya, killing 62.

Colonization in 2009

After the defeat of Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam, Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority started to create a colonization again in Manal Aru area in Weli oya project of the Mahaweli L-zone,[3] which covered the districts of Mullaitivu, Trincomalee, Vavuniya and Anuradhapura.[4] Sinhalese were settled in traditionally Tamil land, given land, money to build homes and security provided by the Special Task Force.[5] Although the scheme covered four districts, administration was handled from the Sinhalese dominated Anuradhapura district. The scheme aroused much anger amongst the Tamils.[6]

Today the majority of the population in the area is Sinhalese.

See also

External links

References

  1. ↑ World Food Program. "Rapid assessment in Welioya, Anuradhapura" (PDF). World Food Program.
  2. 1 2 3 By V.Thangavelu. "At Manal Aru ( Weli Oya ) Sinhalese State Ethnically Cleansed Tamils". NamNadu-2000.
  3. ↑ Sensitive colonization in Manal Aru area in Mullaithivu district. The Director General of Sri Lanka Mahaweli Authority Dharmasiri de Alwis has told the state-owned Dinamina newspaper Wednesday that 2500 families will be settled in Nedunkarni in Mullaithivu district under the Welioya project of the Mahaweli L-zone. Each family will be granted one acre for paddy cultivation, half an acre for coconut growing and one acre for the home garden.
  4. ↑ T. Sabaratnam. "Chapter 23: Manal Aru becomes Weli Oya". Pirapaharan. Ilankai Tamil Sangam. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
  5. ↑ The war - one year on
  6. ↑ T. Sabaratnam. "Chapter 40: Operation Green Arrow". Pirapaharan. Ilankai Tamil Sangam. Retrieved 4 October 2009.
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