Sri Lanka unique in deploying armed forces at welfare centers- SLMM

[TamilNet, Friday, 14 January 2005, 00:21 GMT]
"Sri Lanka is the only country to deploy armed forces to manage refugee welfare centres in the aftermath of Tsunami catestrophy," said Major General (retd) Trond Furuhovde, Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) when he met with the LTTE's Trincomalee district military commander Colonel Sornam and the district political head Mr.Elilan in Sampoor in the LTTE held Muttur east, down south of Trincomalee.

Colonel Sornam expressed his deep concern over the take over of Tsunami welfare centres in the Trincomalee district by the Sri Lanka Army.

This action by the Sri Lanka government has created fear and apprehension in the minds of Tamils. SLMM should help to remove this obstacle in providing relief to Tsunami victims, he added.

In the Sri Lanka government-controlled areas in the northeast, the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) has taken over the management of welfare centres where the refugees are predominantly Tamil, but welfare centers sheltering other communities are left to function on their own without the interference of SLA, sources said.