Military to Withdraw from Private Land in Jaffna: Defence Secretary

Sri Lanka’s Defence Secretary Gotabaya Rajapaksa who toured Jaffna Peninsula and Elephant Pass today said that government has made plans to gradually move out the military from all private land that is presently occupied by the armed forces since the height of war.

The Defence Secretary made these remarks to media personnel who attended the opening of a new war memorial in Elephant Pass on Friday morning. He mentioned that the land was acquired during the height of the war against the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE) which is a proscribed terrorist organization that had been fighting a gruesome three decade long war for a separate state.

The military had moved into many of the private lands which had been abandoned by the civilian population in the Jaffna peninsula who had tried to escape the fighting.

Mr. Rajapaksa also emphasized that the armed forces will play a major role in the development of the war ravaged regions and that the time for peace and prosperity has dawned in the country after the defeat of the LTTE.

The Defence Secretary visited Jaffna on Thursday in order to evaluate the post-war security concerns and the development taking place in the region.

Mr Rajapaksa who arrived at the Pallaly air base on Thursday was accompanied by Chief of Defence Staff and Air Force Commander Air Chief Marshal Roshan Goonatileke, Navy Commander Vice Admiral Thisara Samarasinghe and Inspector General of Police Mahinda Balasuriya, were warmly received by the Army Commander Lieutenant General Jagath Jayasuriya.

- Asian Tribune -