Jaffna paper condemns SLA recruitment

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 04 May 1999, 14:28 GMT]
Uthayan, the only daily published in Jaffna criticised in its editorial today the Sri Lanka Army's (SLA) attempt to recruit Tamil youth. It described the recruitment drive as an insidious a plot against the Tamils. The SLA advertised in the paper yesterday calling on the youth of Jaffna to join its ranks.

In the hard hitting editorial, the Uthayan states "It is strange that (government) is recruiting Tamil youth to the army that is waging a war against the Tamil people. This is a plan to make only the Tamil youth cannon fodder in the war front. The arrest, detention and torture of Tamil youth in the so-called liberated areas go on unmitigated. The Indian army tried to gain by raising a militia called the Civilian Volunteer Force to make Tamil youth fight Tamil youth. The Sri Lankan government and the army are recruiting youth from Tamil areas in the same manner (with the aim of) indirectly instigating war among the Tamils."

"The government heeds no one who tells it about the harm caused by the war. Instead the President says that the war will not be stopped and that the LTTE has to give up its demand for a separate state if negotiations are to begin. It is becoming obvious that she and her government have only a great interest in continuing with the war. Recruiting ten thousand (persons) to the army, purchasing weapons and seeking foreign military expertise (are meant) to further militarize the northeast and to prolong the war for many more years" the paper said.

The Uthayan also accused the Sri Lankan government of continuing the war for staying in power.