SLN constructs big base in Batticaloa district

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 14 July 2010, 15:42 GMT]
Sri Lanka Navy (SLN) has begun the preliminary work on the construction of a big base in a 1200 acre land in Koa’ra’laippattu North Divisional Secretariat division in Batticaloa district denying the people of this area their livelihoods besides affecting them socially and economically, sources in Batticaloa said. The Minister of Economic Development who presided over the recent District Development meeting said that the land in question had not been made use of when Batticaloa district Tamil MPs, members of Provincial Council members and local government bodies of Batticaloa raised protest over the encroachment of public land, the sources added.

The reason for people not using the said area was that Sri Lanka Army (SLA) during war had not allowed the local people to enter the area and had shot and killed the people who happened to enter, the minister was told.

The construction of the SLN base continues despite the protests of the elected representatives of the area.

Construction of new camps of SLA and SLN in Batticaloa district even after the war had ended and the SLA restriction on travel and harassment continues to keep the public gripped in fear, the sources added.