Kokkavil Being Militarised Claims Premachandran

By Raisa Wickrematunge

An outraged TNA MP Suresh Premachandran has charged that Kokkavil is being steadily militarised. According to information received by him, container loads of building materials are being off loaded on a 1 km stretch of the A9 highway near Kokkavil, for the construction of military condominiums.

He said that a large telecasting tower was being constructed. “The government has said the war is over. Why are they militarising the area? There are 40,000 personnel in the Jaffna peninsula alone,” Premachandran said. He condemned the project as “unnecessary,” adding that the government should be looking at reducing the military presence at this time.

“The army is Sinhalese. There are few Tamils and Muslims in the Sri Lankan Army. The Sinhalese killed 215,000 Tamils after 1983. How can you ask us to accept them? It would be alright if they settled in one or two areas. But it looks like they’re going to take over the whole area,” an irate Premachandran said.
However, military representatives vehemently denied the allegations.

“We are rebuilding an army camp in Kokkavil. It was overrun by the LTTE and was held by them for 20 years. Now we have taken it back and are rebuilding it,” Military Spokesman Major General Prasad Samarasinghe said.

Samarasinghe added that the army would be rebuilding camps in other areas as well. “We had camps in Mullaitivu, Kilinochchi, and Pooneryn before they were overrun by the LTTE. We will be rebuilding other major army camps as well,” Samarasinghe said.

He explained that the camps were being built for the protection of newly-resettled civilians, as well as to prevent terrorist activity in the area.

Samarasinghe said major roads had to be patrolled. He also said that the camps would not infringe on private property.