Tamils working on military-run farms and preschools were forced to protest against the Northern Provincial Council by civil security department personnel.
Employees of military run agricultural and preschool ventures, including a significant number of former LTTE cadres, were threatened with suspension of wages if they refused to attend the protests.
In recent months the Northern Provincial Council and local agricultural and civil society organisations in Mullaitivu and Kilinochchi have been campaigning to regain control of large agricultural farms and preschools from military control.
Employees were forced to protest against the campaign and to claim that without the army they would not have salaried jobs.
Petitions were also handed to district government agents, with the Tamil employees saying they were not aware of their contents.
