By Easwaran Rutnam
The Easter Sunday attacks have not changed one of the key demands of a majority of northern Tamils. They still want a reduction in the number of troops in the North.
Various reports emerged last week quoting some Tamil politicians as stating that they wanted the Army to remain in the North following the Easter Sunday attacks.
However, speaking to The Sunday Morning, most Tamil politicians in the North insisted there was no change in their demand.
They said that while security measures taken by the authorities following the Easter Sunday attacks were respected, having a large number of permanent military camps in the North was not welcome.
The main Tamil political party in the North, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), said the Easter Sunday attacks had only resulted in a large Army presence in the North and not the South.
TNA Parliamentarian S. Sritharan told The Sunday Morning that checkpoints had been placed at almost every location in the North.
“What we are seeing now is similar to what it was during the war. People travelling in vehicles are asked to get down and are checked.
“But the incidents now took place in the South and not the North, yet there is more security here than in the South. The normal day-to-day lives of those in the North have been greatly affected,” he said.
Sritharan also raised fears that the Easter Sunday attacks will be used to further strengthen the military presence in the North.
He said he does not think any Tamil politician, not linked to the Government, will want a strong Army presence in the North.
Clearing the air
Former Northern Province Minister Ananthi Saseetharan was among those quoted as saying the Army must maintain its strong presence in the North.
However, speaking to The Sunday Morning, she refuted reports of making such an appeal.
She said that having opposed the number of troops in the North over the years, she had no intention of changing her mind now.
Saseetharan said that the Police should be entrusted with the duty of maintaining law and order and not the military.
“There are so many checkpoints now in the North. Since I am not in the Northern Provincial Council now, with the term of the council ending, I also have to submit my ID and undergo checks like ordinary civilians in the North, on a daily basis,” she said.
Saseetharan feared that the military will use the Easter Sunday attacks to maintain its strong presence in the North.
She also cautioned of attempts by some politicians to use the crisis in the country following the Easter Sunday attacks to make misleading comments and obtain political mileage.
Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) Leader Suresh Premachandran said that no Tamil will oppose special security measures being put in place for national security.
“The authorities need to take steps to ensure national security at a time like this. There are no two words about it,” he said.
However, the concern of Northern Tamils is that there was excessive Army presence in the North, even after the war ended.
“Time and again we have been saying the military in the North must be redistributed to other provinces,” Premachandran told The Sunday Morning.
He also reiterated concerns over the excessive number of troops in the North following the Easter Sunday attacks.
“This seems unnecessary. It is only spreading fear among the people in the North and making life difficult,” he said.
More to come
Tamil political parties in the North have been calling for the release of private land held by the military in the North after withdrawing the military from several locations.
The Army had already released several acres of land in the North, but it continues to occupy more privately-owned property.
In March, a total of 19.72 acres of land in Myladdy North and East inside the Palaly Army Cantonment and a portion adjoining it were released.
In January, President Maithripala Sirisena released over 1,200 acres of Army-occupied land in the North.
Army-used state and private lands in the North, which will not have any impact on national security, were released at a ceremony attended by the President.
Also in January, the Security Force Headquarters – Wanni (SFHQ-W), in line with a presidential directive, handed over documents related to the release of 40.74 acres of state land and 13.64 acres of private land in the Wanni to the Governor of the Northern Province Dr. Suren Raghavan.
Dr. Raghavan had recently told this newspaper that a political decision must be taken to demilitarise the North.
The Ministry of Defence, however, reiterated that troops will be stationed in the North according to national security requirements.
More than what meets the eye?
The Government has also shot down calls to fully demilitarise the North.
Meanwhile, a US-based pro-LTTE group called on the Trump administration to deploy US troops to protect the Tamils in the North and East from ISIS-led attacks.
In a letter to US President Donald Trump, a Tamil Diaspora group named “Tamils for Trump” said they do not believe that the Sri Lankan authorities will protect Tamils from an ISIS attack in the North and East.
“Even the former Head of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Zeid Raad Al Hussein, stated that he suspects a Muslim or ISIS attack was plotted to win the election in Sri Lanka. India had warned the Sri Lankan authority of the possibility of an ISIS terrorist attack on Tamil churches. Sri Lanka ignored the warning,” Tamils for Trump said.
President Maithripala Sirisena had already said that he will not accept any proposal to deploy foreign troops to Sri Lanka to face IS or ISIS-influenced groups.
The President had said this to a visiting UN envoy last week.
The Easter Sunday attacks have not changed one of the key demands of a majority of northern Tamils. They still want a reduction in the number of troops in the North.
Various reports emerged last week quoting some Tamil politicians as stating that they wanted the Army to remain in the North following the Easter Sunday attacks.
However, speaking to The Sunday Morning, most Tamil politicians in the North insisted there was no change in their demand.
They said that while security measures taken by the authorities following the Easter Sunday attacks were respected, having a large number of permanent military camps in the North was not welcome.
The main Tamil political party in the North, the Tamil National Alliance (TNA), said the Easter Sunday attacks had only resulted in a large Army presence in the North and not the South.
TNA Parliamentarian S. Sritharan told The Sunday Morning that checkpoints had been placed at almost every location in the North.
“What we are seeing now is similar to what it was during the war. People travelling in vehicles are asked to get down and are checked.
“But the incidents now took place in the South and not the North, yet there is more security here than in the South. The normal day-to-day lives of those in the North have been greatly affected,” he said.
Sritharan also raised fears that the Easter Sunday attacks will be used to further strengthen the military presence in the North.
He said he does not think any Tamil politician, not linked to the Government, will want a strong Army presence in the North.
Clearing the air
Former Northern Province Minister Ananthi Saseetharan was among those quoted as saying the Army must maintain its strong presence in the North.
However, speaking to The Sunday Morning, she refuted reports of making such an appeal.
She said that having opposed the number of troops in the North over the years, she had no intention of changing her mind now.
Saseetharan said that the Police should be entrusted with the duty of maintaining law and order and not the military.
“There are so many checkpoints now in the North. Since I am not in the Northern Provincial Council now, with the term of the council ending, I also have to submit my ID and undergo checks like ordinary civilians in the North, on a daily basis,” she said.
Saseetharan feared that the military will use the Easter Sunday attacks to maintain its strong presence in the North.
She also cautioned of attempts by some politicians to use the crisis in the country following the Easter Sunday attacks to make misleading comments and obtain political mileage.
Eelam People's Revolutionary Liberation Front (EPRLF) Leader Suresh Premachandran said that no Tamil will oppose special security measures being put in place for national security.
“The authorities need to take steps to ensure national security at a time like this. There are no two words about it,” he said.
However, the concern of Northern Tamils is that there was excessive Army presence in the North, even after the war ended.
“Time and again we have been saying the military in the North must be redistributed to other provinces,” Premachandran told The Sunday Morning.
He also reiterated concerns over the excessive number of troops in the North following the Easter Sunday attacks.
“This seems unnecessary. It is only spreading fear among the people in the North and making life difficult,” he said.
More to come
Tamil political parties in the North have been calling for the release of private land held by the military in the North after withdrawing the military from several locations.
The Army had already released several acres of land in the North, but it continues to occupy more privately-owned property.
In March, a total of 19.72 acres of land in Myladdy North and East inside the Palaly Army Cantonment and a portion adjoining it were released.
In January, President Maithripala Sirisena released over 1,200 acres of Army-occupied land in the North.
Army-used state and private lands in the North, which will not have any impact on national security, were released at a ceremony attended by the President.
Also in January, the Security Force Headquarters – Wanni (SFHQ-W), in line with a presidential directive, handed over documents related to the release of 40.74 acres of state land and 13.64 acres of private land in the Wanni to the Governor of the Northern Province Dr. Suren Raghavan.
Dr. Raghavan had recently told this newspaper that a political decision must be taken to demilitarise the North.
The Ministry of Defence, however, reiterated that troops will be stationed in the North according to national security requirements.
More than what meets the eye?
The Government has also shot down calls to fully demilitarise the North.
Meanwhile, a US-based pro-LTTE group called on the Trump administration to deploy US troops to protect the Tamils in the North and East from ISIS-led attacks.
In a letter to US President Donald Trump, a Tamil Diaspora group named “Tamils for Trump” said they do not believe that the Sri Lankan authorities will protect Tamils from an ISIS attack in the North and East.
“Even the former Head of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights, Zeid Raad Al Hussein, stated that he suspects a Muslim or ISIS attack was plotted to win the election in Sri Lanka. India had warned the Sri Lankan authority of the possibility of an ISIS terrorist attack on Tamil churches. Sri Lanka ignored the warning,” Tamils for Trump said.
President Maithripala Sirisena had already said that he will not accept any proposal to deploy foreign troops to Sri Lanka to face IS or ISIS-influenced groups.
The President had said this to a visiting UN envoy last week.