SLA poster campaign in Batticaloa

[TamilNet, Thursday, 20 November 1997, 23:59 GMT]
The Sri Lankan army's Psychological-operations unit has put up posters in Batticaloa town urging the local Tamils not to support the Liberation Tigers.

Three different posters have come up in many parts of town, mainly near Police and army check points.

One poster shows a Tiger paw trying to grab school children.

Another says "If you had not taken to arms" and under that has drawings of prosperity.

The third one is a harangue urging the Tamils to reject the LTTE because it is disrupting normal life.

This is part of the pre-emptive moves the Sri Lankan government is taking to minimise the impact of LTTE's Maaveerar week which begins tomorrow.

Most posters were torn off by unidentified persons last night.

The army put up a new check point by its camp at Morokkottanchenai on the Batticaloa - Valaichenai road yesterday.

Checking at this point is quite severe say travellers.

Soldiers are probing the fuel tanks of vehicles passing this way in particular said sources.

There is a delay in reaching Colombo from Batticaloa as a result say travellers.