Varani SLA enjoys economic benefits from coconut estates

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 03 September 2003, 11:20 GMT]
Sri Lanka Army (SLA) soldiers operating from camp located in Idaikurichchi and central Varani area in Thenmaradchy district have disallowed owners of nearby coconut estates to collect coconut and other produce from their estates, according to local residents.

The Varani SLA camp encompasses coconut estates from nearly fifty families and these families have lost their income derived from the estate produce.

In the past, although the SLA permitted the residents to collect produce from the estates, the residents had to give a portion of their collection to the soldiers in the camp.

Residents say that recently SLA soldiers have begun collecting the estate produce themselves, and have started sending the surplus to SLA camps in other parts of Jaffna district.