SLA constructs new camp at Potpathi in Vadamarachchi East

[TamilNet, Friday, 25 July 2003, 18:03 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Army Thursday commenced constructing a large camp at Potpathi, a fishing hamlet in the Vadamarachchi East division in Jaffna district, where about one hundred fishing families reside, and civil sources said that hundreds of villagers immediately launched a sit-in-protest campaign in front of the new camp demanding its removal, civil sources said.

The protest continued till 8 p.m. Thursday, the sources said.

Soon after the launch of the sit-in-protest campaign, the SLA authorities invited three representatives of the protestors to their camp and told them that they would convey their final decision Friday on the construction of the new camp. But as of Friday evening, the SLA has not conveyed their decision to the villagers, civil sources said.

The SLA has warned the protestors that they would be dispersed forcibly with the assistance of the Police if they did not withdraw their protest, civil sources said.

Meanwhile, monitors of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in Jaffna Thursday visited the scene and held discussions with the SLA authorities present at the site. The SLMM monitors did not meet the protesting residents.

However, the residents who participated in the sit-in-protest did not allow the SLMM monitors from leaving the area without meeting them. They requested the SLMM monitors to take immediate steps to stop the construction of the new camp. But the monitors left the site after telling the protestors that the SLA authorities would convey their decision Friday, the sources said.

The SLA has warned the protestors that they would be dispersed forcibly with the assistance of the Police if they did not withdraw their protest, civil sources said.

Meanwhile, monitors of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission in Jaffna Thursday visited the scene and held discussions with the SLA authorities present at the site. The SLMM monitors did not meet the protesting residents.

However, the residents who participated in the sit-in-protest did not allow the SLMM monitors from leaving the area without meeting them. They requested the SLMM monitors to take immediate steps to stop the construction of the new camp But the monitors left the site after telling the protestors that the SLA authorities would convey their decision Friday, the sources said.