Chavakachcheri library to stay closed

[TamilNet, Friday, 29 January 1999, 11:38 GMT]
The Sri Lankan Ministry of Defence (MoD) informed the Chavakachcheri Urban Council (UC) in a letter sent yesterday, that the Army camp at the Chavakachcheri library could not be shifted to another location due to security reasons.

The Chavakachcheri UC had earlier sent a letter to the MoD, asking it to relocate the library SLA camp in view of re-opening the library.

The library and several other buildings belonging to the UC have been occupied by the SLA since the army captured the Jaffna peninsula three years ago.

Sources said that the army had taken all the books from the library and locked them in two rooms at the Chavakachcheri market building.

A government officer commenting on the MoD's reply said "the government is collecting bricks and books to rehabilitate the Jaffna public library burnt down by the police, but it is not granting permission for an existing library to function".

"It is only looking after the interests of the forces and not the people's" he added.