SLA travel restriction on Jaffna peninsula residents remains

[TamilNet, Saturday, 14 November 2009, 08:28 GMT]
Though Sri Lanka Defence Ministry has announced that the A9 road has been opened to the public Sri Lanka Army (SLA) authorities in Palaali Military Head Office issued a new directive Friday which says that all residents of Jaffna peninsula should obtain the SLA travel pass as usual from their local SLA civil authorities if they wish to travel out of the peninsula, sources in Jaffna said. The Non-government Organizations Federation in Jaffna has sent an appeal to President Mahinda Rajapakse requesting the removal of the above travel restriction imposed on the people of the peninsula.

Earlier, SLA in Vavuniyaa had refused to allow public who wanted to proceed to Jaffna at the SLA check post in Vavuniyaa.

According to Ministry of Defence announcement the SLA authorities in Jaffna said Friday that persons who are not residents of Jaffna peninsula living in other parts of the country can travel to Jaffna through A9 road submitting a copy of their National Identity Card.

But, no specific information is available on the procedure the above persons to follow on their return journey.

The NGO Federation has also requested to regulate the exorbitant fare charged for the air-conditioned vehicles which are operated by influential political persons at the ministry level.