SLA erects minicamps, sentry posts in interior parts of Jaffna peninsula

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 11 November 2009, 18:20 GMT]
Fear and suspicion have risen among the residents of Jaffna peninsula as Sri Lanka Army (SLA) in Jaffna is actively engaged in hastily setting up minicamps and sentry posts manned by small groups of soldiers in the interior parts of Jaffna peninsula, sources in Jaffna said. Though SLA has announced that it is removing its sentry posts near the schools in Jaffna Town they are not being removed but relocated in the interior areas, civil society representatives pointed out. SLA continues to occupy Gnanam Hotel and Subhas Hotel in the heart of the town while it refuses to open Clock Tower Road, Power House Road and Victoria Road in the town for public use, they added.

SLA is concentrating on areas in which the Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) brought to Jaffna are located in setting up minicamps and sentry posts manned by small groups of soldiers, creating fear and suspicion among the residents of the interior places in Jaffna.

SLA in Jaffna is also busy strengthening the security measures in front of its High Security Zones (HSZ) in the peninsula while at the same time fortifying its sentry posts and other positions located along the coast of the peninsula, its residents said.

SLA which has been occupying Jaffna peninsula for the last thirteen years is only showing pretence that it is removing its presence from Jaffna town, the civil society representatives said.

The SLA sentry points located along the main roads in Jaffna and in the town area are not removed but are being relocated on the inner sides of the roads, they said.

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