Sri Lankan gov't resettle over 50,000 families in east

The Sri Lankan government said Friday that over 50,000 families displaced in clashes in the east when situation deteriorated there in 2006 have now been resettled.
"During the last 10 months we have managed to resettle 17,938 families in Trincomalee and 31,343 families in Batticaloa," A. M. Razick, the secretary to the Ministry of Re-settlement told reporters on Friday.
Razick said this represents over 150,000 individuals, adding that over 8,000 families are yet to be resettled.
The government's resettlement of the internally displaced people began after it secured the entire Eastern Province from the rebel Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE) in July 2007.
Extensive clashes between the LTTE and government troops broke out in the province in mid-2006 when the LTTE carried out continued attacks around the eastern port of Trincomalee.
Government troops in a systematic military operation secured Sampur in the district of Trincomalee which was the LTTE's seat ofeastern administration and then evicted the rebels from Vakarai, their stronghold in the Batticaloa district.
The government now says major action plan is underway to restore civilian life in the province.
A local council election in the province's Batticaloa district was held last month.
The Eastern Provincial Council election is to be held on May 10.