Military welfare ahead of civilian needs
The Sri Lankan military barred bicycles and motorbikes from entering the Point Pedro town in Jaffna in order to raise the safety of the 52nd military camp nearby. Due to the ban retailers who take their stocks into town by motorbikes and bicycles are forced to carry it on their head. Shoppers are also harassed by this ban.
When there is one military soldier present for every 10 civilians that in itself is an indication that the military is unwelcome. In Jaffna the military also occupies more than 30% of the total land. More than 4000 acres of civilian land is confiscated for military use. It is this military that is giving protection to the paramilitary groups and use it as a proxy to murder and disappear civilians. It is this military that has kept closed the only land route to Jaffna for more than two months creating havoc in the economic life of the people and causing starvation among the families of the daily wage earners. It is indeed surprising that the Sri Lankan and international human rights bodies have not called for the withdrawal of this military. Why is fuel banned to LTTE administered areas? In the similar vein diesel and petrol have been completely banned from being taken to LTTE administered areas. Why? What rights does anyone have to ban an essential item like fuel to the 500,000 people in living in LTTE administered areas of Kilinochchi and Mullaithivu? In was in this context that three Muslim people were arrested on 23 October by the Sri Lankan Navy on the accusation that they were trying to take petrol from Mannar to LTTE administered areas.
25 October 2006
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Europe which has a total population of 800 million is made up of 45 language based nation states. South Asia which has a total population of one billion, (1000 million) is comprised of four states. Who is preventing and therefore benefiting by limiting new nation-states in South Asia?
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