SLA pressures villagers to withdraw camp complaint

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 06 August 2003, 18:47 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army officials stationed at Potpathi in Vadamaradchi east, Jaffna district, are reported to be exerting pressure on the villagers to withdraw their representation to the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission and the regional office of the Human Rights Commission (HRC) of Sri Lanka against the establishment of a military camp at Potpathi, civil sources said.

Meanwhile, Mr.C.Ilamparuthi, the political head of the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam in Jaffna, held discussions with the monitors of the SLMM regarding the construction of the new SLA camp at Potpathi, a fishing hamlet, in violation of the ceasefire agreement, civil groups said.

Although the SLA has suspended the construction of the camp due to public agitation, a group of army soldiers with their officers are staying in partly constructed structures of the new camp, villagers said.

The SLA soldiers have reportedly told the villagers that they would remove the new camp if the villagers withdrew their representations against the establishment of the new camp to the SLMM and the HRC, civil groups said.

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