Jaffna SLA commander meets NGO representatives

[TamilNet, Wednesday, 06 October 2004, 13:36 GMT]
Major General Sunil Tennekoon, Jaffna Area Commander of Sri Lanka Army (SLA), said during discussions with representatives of the Consortium of Jaffna District Non-Governmental Organizations (CJDNGO) Wednesday that poor public relations skills of his soldiers serving in the peninsula are contributing to the difficulties in maintaining cordial relationship with members of public, civil sources said.

Mr.V.Sakthivel, President of the CJDNGO presided over the discussions which commenced around 9.30 a.m. and lasted for about two hours.

The discussion was held at the office of the CJDNGO, located along Nallur temple Road in Jaffna town.

Jaffna Army Civil Co-ordinator Brigadier Ranaweera, and Major Kalyanaretna and Captain Silva of Palaly military base also participated in the discussion with Major General Tennekoon, sources said.

CJDNGO delegation included Chairman Mr.Sakthivel, Ms Saroja Sivachchandran of Women Development Centre and representatives of Rural Women Development and other welfare organizations.

Major General Tennekoon announced at the discussion that he would be meeting Sri Lanka navy officials shortly in regard to the question of allowing proprietors to see their coconut estates which are located close to the forward defence lines in Thenmaradchchi villages, Ketpali, Kilali and Kachchai. The proposed discussion between Major General Sunil Tennekon and SLN officials is scheduled to take place on Sunday, sources said.

The possibility of allowing resettlement of internally displaced (IDPs) people and their rehabilitation and recommencement of cultivation and re-opening of closed schools in lands, which are located inside, and in close proximity to the high security zones was also discussed at the conference, sources said.