Gurunagar Fishermen oppose new SLA garrison

[TamilNet, Tuesday, 01 April 2003, 17:24 GMT]
Representatives of the Sri Lanka Monitoring Mission (SLMM) in Jaffna and District NGOs Consortium Tuesday held discussion with municipal council officials regarding taking over Municipal Council lands near Jaffna fort and Gurunagar area by the Sri Lanka Army (SLA) to establish its main garrison, sources said.

The municipal lands now demarcated by the SLA to construct its main Jaffna garrison are located close to Gurunagar fishing suburb in the Jaffna town.

A delegation of the Gurunagar Progressive United Front also held discussion with municipal authorities Tuesday and expressed their opposition for the establishment of the SLA main garrison close to their fishing area.

The Gurunagar delegation pointed out to the municipal authorities that they would lose their livelihood if the SLA locates its camp close to their residential area. Gurunagar fishermen would lose freedom to fish in sea when SLA main garrison is located close to their beach, sources said.

Meanwhile the Jaffna Municipal Council administration is having consultations with legal experts to file a suit in the law court to obtain a stay order against the Sri Lanka Army establishing its main garrison in Council lands, sources said.