APIn this May 23, 2009, photo, the abandoned devastation is seen in this aerial photo showing part of the former conflict zone on the north east coast of the Jaffna peninsula in Sri Lanka.
May 22, 2013
The Sri Lanka army has said that it would reduce the number of military camps in the former rebel stronghold of northern Jaffna and hand over lands back to their original owners.
“We will reduce the existing 17 military camps in Jaffna to just three,” Army chief Lt Gen Jagath Jayasuriya said.
The fourteen camps pulled out from different parts of Jaffna would be relocated in the main Palaly cantonment, he said on Tuesday.
Lands on which the camps were located would be handed back to their original owners and lands that would be difficult to be handed back due to national security considerations would be subject to compensation, he said.
Sri Lanka has come under international pressure for de-escalation of the military presence in Jaffna which is considered crucial to achieving reconciliation with the Tamil minority.
The international rights watch groups claim that a large military presence in the north since the end to the war with the LTTE in 2009 clamped the civilian life in the former conflict regions.
Jaffna youth group not disbanded. Tamil Arasu party Secretary Mawai Senathiraja notify
Wednesday , 22 May 2013
Tamil Arasu party’s youth group Secretary Sivakaran informed that the party's Jaffna district youth group has been disbanded and concerning this, action is not taken said Tamil Arasu party General Secretary Mawai Senanithraja.
Tamil Arasu party youth group Secretary Sivakaran in his media statement mentioned that the party’s Jaffna district youth group has been disbanded from this month 5th.
Concerning this Tamil Arasu party General Secretary Mawai Senathiraja was contacted, he said, such happenings did not occur and no need to speak about it.
The opinion of Mawai Senathiraja was clarified from Sivakaran by contacting him, he said, I introduced youth groups in the north and east. I am responsible for it. By conducting disciplinary investigation, I disbanded the Tamil Arasu party's Jaffna district youth group.I am not aware what the party leadership had notified. You (Uthayan)if one said, it would be exaggerated to nine times said Sivakaran.
