Withdraw troops, lift embargo, demands Trinco Civil group

[TamilNet, Friday, 02 December 2005, 12:17 GMT]
Trincomalee District Tamil Peoples' Consortium (TDTPC) Thursday requested Sri Lanka's President Mr.Mahinda Rajapakse to take immediate steps to remove all temporary camps and checkpoints of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) now located in the Trincomalee town following the erection of Buddha statue in the bus stand vicinity on May 15 midnight this year, sources said. The Civil group also demanded that the embargo on essential food and other items to Muttur east be lifted.

"We are not opposed to civil rule in the town. Therefore please take steps to hand over law and order matters in the east port town to the Police instead of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) and withdraw all soldiers of the SLA to the barracks," TDTPC said in the memorandum sent to the Sri Lanka President with copies to the Defense Ministry Secretary, Head of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM), heads of the envoys representing United States of America, Japan, Britain, India, Norway and China in Sri Lanka and heads of armed forces in Trincomalee.

TDTPC brought to the notice of President Rajapakse the difficulties of people living villages in the Muttur east and Eachchilampathu division located in the LTTE controlled areas in the Trincomalee district due to restriction imposed by the SLA on the transport of essential food items and building materials for the reconstruction of houses in tsunami destroyed areas.

"We hope that you would take necessary steps in alleviating the hardships of these people by lifting the restriction on transport of goods through Kaddaiparichchan and Mahindapura SLA camps to their villages,"said the TDTPC in its memorandum.

TDTPC added in its memorandum that Tamil people would resort to non-violent direct action if soldiers are not withdrawn from the Trincomalee town and restriction on transporting essential food items to Muttur Tamil villages is not lifted.