Sri Lanka army donates wheelchairs to Jaffna disabled

[TamilNet, Friday, 27 February 2004, 11:40 GMT]
The Sri Lanka army’s 52-4 Brigade in Pt. Pedro Friday donated eleven wheelchairs to disabled persons in Jaffna. The SLA held a special function at the Vallipuram Temple near Pt. Pedro on Friday morning to mark the occasion. Addressing the function after donating the wheelchairs, Commander of the SLA’s 52-4 Brigade, Col. K. S Ratnayaka, said it was a goodwill gesture by the Sri Lankan military to foster better relations with the Tamil people.

“We want the people to cooperate with us. We are ready to use the money we spent on war for development. Tamils and Singhalese want peace. The army too is desirous of peace. There should be permanent peace in this country”, Col. Ratnayaka said, speaking through a translator.

Maj. H. M. S Priyantha, the commanding officer (CO) of 2 Gemunu Watch of the SLA based in Katkovalam, a coastal village near Pt. Pedro and Maj. N. Themadampitiya, CO of the SLA’s 6th Signals based in Pallappai also took part in the function Friday.