ARMY PRESENCE IN THE NORTH CANNOT BE CONDONED - VIGNESHWARAN
October 25, 2013 
The newly appointed Northern Province Chief Minister C.V. Vigneshwaran stated today (October 25) that he cannot condone the army’s presence in the North based on national security.
He said that the army has to stop acquiring land for their own use and return it to its rightful owners while mechanisms must be in place to ensure that this happens.
He promised to focus on resettling those who were driven from their homes in the North during the 1990s.
The Chief Minister also revealed that it was wrong to act without understanding the language, culture and civilization of the Tamil community while he added that police had become an obstacle to the people of the North in their daily affairs. He added that it would therefore be wise to recruit people of the North to the police force in the area.
He assured the people that he will not allow corruption within his time as Chief Minister and will work to rehabilitate those who are disrespectful to public service.
Vigneshwaran stressed that the people of the South should not consider the people of the North as separatists but he condemned the army’s alleged involvement in illegal resettlement in the North.
He also added that the Northern harbour must be re-established in order to help develop the country.
New Sri Lanka CM calls for army withdrawal
Colombo, Oct 25 (IANS) The new chief minister of Sri Lanka's Tamil-dominated Northern Province Friday called for the withdrawal of the military from the area.
Speaking at the inaugural session of the Northern Provincial Council in northern Jaffna town, C.V. Wigneswaran said the army must be confined to its barracks in the post-war environment, Xinhua reported.
This part of Sri Lanka has been battered by war between the army and Tamil Tiger rebels for 30 years in which thousands were killed.
The first provincial council elections held in the area last month saw Wigneswaran's Tamil National Alliance sweeping to victory.
Wigneswaran called on the Tamil diaspora to support the Tamils in the north to rebuild their lives and expressed hope of working closely with south India.
"Our people will not work in a way which makes it necessary for the army to remain in full strength in the north," he said.
The army has maintained that troops will need to continue to operate in the north as there is a threat of extremists supporting the cause of the Tamil Tiger rebels.
The rebels were defeated by the army in May 2009 but the government says rebel supporters are still fully active overseas.
