SLA closes Uyilangkulam checkpoint

[TamilNet, Saturday, 21 July 2007, 11:35 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) closed Friday Uyilangku'lam checkpoint to Vanni in Mannaar district following the attack Friday around 3:30 a.m on the Kaddaiyadampan SLA camp by Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE). Mannaar International Committee of Red Cross (ICRC) officially informed Mannar Government Agent A.Nicholaspillai of this closure.

Food supply to the LTTE held Vanni scheduled for Friday with the permission of Mannaar GA has been blocked due to closure.

The prices for essential commodities in the Vanni have already increased to levels not affordable to the poorer section of the population in Vanni and the closure of Uyilangku'lam check post will further burden the people, sources in Vanni said.

New regulations and checking procedures introduced by Sri Lanka Army (SLA) officials on vehicles transporting essentials to Vanni through checkpoints, under SLA's expressed objective of increased security, have severely restricted the flow of goods into the Liberation Tigers controlled region, civil society sources in Vanni said.

Administrative officials inside Vanni said that the district residents face severe shortage of essentials such as sugar and flour if stocks are not replenished within two weeks.