Violent protests against the continuing military presence in and around high schools and other public places erupted in the Jaffna peninsula this week with students in Point Pedro clashing with troops and police.
There were other protests against the killings of two Tamil activists last week by suspected Army-backed paramilitaries and as this edition goes to print, the Jaffna Student Consortium said that they have decided to expand the protests across the district schools.
Military violence on Monday against protesters spurred more demonstrations and tension gripped the Vadamaradchy area as protests continued into Tuesday.
The students are demanding the withdrawal of Sri Lankan troops from the High Security Zone (HSZ) encompassing Hartley College and Methodist Girls High School.
The February 2002 ceasefire stipulates that Sri Lankan troops must withdraw from schools, places of worship, private homes and other civic spaces they are occupying.
Despite repeated protests by residents keen to resettle in their homes, the military refuses to move out, citing security concerns. Several town and villages in the Jaffna peninsula are now enclosed in the military’s HSZs.
On Tuesday hundreds of students from other schools in Vadamaradchy area joined the protest by setting up road blocks using tree branches and dragging concertina fences, and burning tyres along all four roads leading to the HSZ, College Road, Vinayagamudaliyar (VM) Road, Harbor Road and Sea Road, and blockaded the SLA camps
More Sri Lankan soldiers and police were brought into the area and formed a cordon around the students Tuesday. The situation further deteriorated as parents, fearing safety of their children participating in the protests, assembled around the outer circle of SLA soldiers and police. Although tear gas was used in places and soldiers fired into the air, there are no report of any injuries.
Protests spread to other towns in Vadamaradchy when students from schools in Nelliyady, Valvettiturai (VVT), Udupiddy and Thunnalai set fire to tyres in front of their schools.
On Monday hundreds of students of Hartley College and Methodist Girls High School setup road blocks and demonstrated against the SLA’s efforts to construct a new checkpoint on College Road leading to both schools. SLA soldiers fired warning shots into the air and tear gas to disperse the protesting students.
On Saturday protesters burned barricades and blocked major roads in Sri Lanka’s government-held Jaffna peninsula on Friday as part of a general strike over the killing of two Tamil activists.
They blamed the government and the EPDP, an anti-LTTE Tamil group that is an alliance partner of new President Mahinda Rajapakse, for the killings. The military denied the charge said they had no idea who gunned down two Tamil men on Thursday night.
"We have no information on who has done this," Brigadier Nalin Witharanage told Reuters. "But every time something like this happens people blame the army or the EPDP."
Last week a 24 year old man was wounded when troops fired on stone-throwing protestors who confronted them in Meesalai when the soldiers tied to dismantle roadblocks set up by local residents.
Hundreds of families displaced from the HSZ in Valigamam district and living in refugee camps for more than fifteen years picketed in front of Uduvil Pradeshya Sabha offices protesting against the reduction in the relief assistance announced by the government.
The Government has been providing dry rations and compensation worth Rs 1140 per month per displaced family based on the 1990 estimate of living needs. But this amount has not been increased for the past 15 years.
Protesters said that the Government should either increase the relief money to meet the basic living needs, or it should allow them to move into their own homes inside the HSZ.
There were other protests against the killings of two Tamil activists last week by suspected Army-backed paramilitaries and as this edition goes to print, the Jaffna Student Consortium said that they have decided to expand the protests across the district schools.
Military violence on Monday against protesters spurred more demonstrations and tension gripped the Vadamaradchy area as protests continued into Tuesday.
The students are demanding the withdrawal of Sri Lankan troops from the High Security Zone (HSZ) encompassing Hartley College and Methodist Girls High School.
The February 2002 ceasefire stipulates that Sri Lankan troops must withdraw from schools, places of worship, private homes and other civic spaces they are occupying.
Despite repeated protests by residents keen to resettle in their homes, the military refuses to move out, citing security concerns. Several town and villages in the Jaffna peninsula are now enclosed in the military’s HSZs.
On Tuesday hundreds of students from other schools in Vadamaradchy area joined the protest by setting up road blocks using tree branches and dragging concertina fences, and burning tyres along all four roads leading to the HSZ, College Road, Vinayagamudaliyar (VM) Road, Harbor Road and Sea Road, and blockaded the SLA camps
More Sri Lankan soldiers and police were brought into the area and formed a cordon around the students Tuesday. The situation further deteriorated as parents, fearing safety of their children participating in the protests, assembled around the outer circle of SLA soldiers and police. Although tear gas was used in places and soldiers fired into the air, there are no report of any injuries.
Protests spread to other towns in Vadamaradchy when students from schools in Nelliyady, Valvettiturai (VVT), Udupiddy and Thunnalai set fire to tyres in front of their schools.
On Monday hundreds of students of Hartley College and Methodist Girls High School setup road blocks and demonstrated against the SLA’s efforts to construct a new checkpoint on College Road leading to both schools. SLA soldiers fired warning shots into the air and tear gas to disperse the protesting students.
On Saturday protesters burned barricades and blocked major roads in Sri Lanka’s government-held Jaffna peninsula on Friday as part of a general strike over the killing of two Tamil activists.
They blamed the government and the EPDP, an anti-LTTE Tamil group that is an alliance partner of new President Mahinda Rajapakse, for the killings. The military denied the charge said they had no idea who gunned down two Tamil men on Thursday night.
"We have no information on who has done this," Brigadier Nalin Witharanage told Reuters. "But every time something like this happens people blame the army or the EPDP."
Last week a 24 year old man was wounded when troops fired on stone-throwing protestors who confronted them in Meesalai when the soldiers tied to dismantle roadblocks set up by local residents.
Hundreds of families displaced from the HSZ in Valigamam district and living in refugee camps for more than fifteen years picketed in front of Uduvil Pradeshya Sabha offices protesting against the reduction in the relief assistance announced by the government.
The Government has been providing dry rations and compensation worth Rs 1140 per month per displaced family based on the 1990 estimate of living needs. But this amount has not been increased for the past 15 years.
Protesters said that the Government should either increase the relief money to meet the basic living needs, or it should allow them to move into their own homes inside the HSZ.
