SLA imposes day time travel restrictions in Jaffna

[TamilNet, Saturday, 24 February 2007, 18:26 GMT]
The high command of the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) from Palaly announced Friday that in addition to the 11 hour night time curfew already in place, there will be further restrictions of civilian movement during day time. SLA directed general public to avoid certain roads during a three and a half hour period, morning between 10:00 a.m. and 12.00 noon and again between 3:00 pm- and 4:30 pm in the afternoon, sources in Jaffna said.

The SLA in this announcement advised the public to avoid using main routes including Palaly Road, KKS road, Jaffna-Point Pedro road passing through Vadamaradchy and A-9 Highway pointing out that these are the main supply routes for the army.

Though the announcement from Palaly has ‘advised the public to avoid’ using these roads the SLA troops patrolling these areas have begun to strictly impose the new ruling causing severe hardships, civil society sources said.

The public are already forced stand along the streets for many hours when convoys of military vehicles pass along these streets and the latest ruling has imposed further strain on the residents, civil society sources added.

The daytime restrictions of civilian movement in the peninsula has severely hampered travel to Vadamaradchy, Thenmaradchy and the islets.