Navy strengthens camps in Trinco north villages
[TamilNet, Saturday, 25 May 2002, 18:13 GMT]
The Sri Lanka Navy has started strengthening its camps in coastal Tamil villages to the north of Trincomalee from Sambalthivu to Pulmoddai. Navy personnel deployed in several camps in these villages have intensified their daytime patrolling. Tension prevails among Tamil people live in villages of Sambaltivu, Salli, Nilaveli, Gopalapuram and Kuchchaveli due to aggressive patrolling and interrogation by navy personnel, local residents said.
"No progress has been made in restoring normalcy in villages in Trincomalee north after the signing of the ceasefire between the government and LTTE," said the head of the LTTE's political section in Kuchchaveli District, Mr.Thooyavan, whose office is located at Gopalapuram in Nilaveli, 14 km north of Trincomalee. "We are also subjected to interrogation by the navy personnel frequently whenever we go to meet the people. Even when we say that we are legally allowed under the cease-ire agreement to engage ourselves in doing political activities in these villages navy personnel disregard those explanations," said Mr.Thooyavan said at a press briefing held Saturday evening at the LTTE Trincomalee district office. "Those displaced people who have returned to Nilaveli and staying with their relatives and in welfare centres are also being questioned by navy personnel. Displaced now awaiting resettlement also face intimidation by navy personnel in some instances and they now fear to complain to the authorities concerned," said Mr. Thooyavan.
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