Security Forces personnel in Jaffna are reduced well below 50 percent

Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya, Sri Lanka Army spokesman said that the presence of the Security Forces in the Jaffna peninsula has been reduced well below 50 percent.

He said in 2007, during the height of the war we had little less than 50,000 Army, Navy, Air Force and Police personnel in Jaffna. And today we have only 15,000 Army personnel and the Navy and air force – they have also reduced and altogether we have now about 18,000 security forces personnel in Jaffna.

Sri Lanka Army spokesman also revealed that Army use to pay rents to private properties that were under them. "We have been paying rents right throughout in other places also."

Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya said If anybody has such problems then they should approach the security forces headquarters in Jaffna and inform them and Army will make arrangements to pay rent for that property.

Even for the lands and houses in the high security zone, if the owners come forward with appropriate documents to identify that particular property as theirs, then they can claim rent for that property. We will pay rent for that particular property.

We have also more than two to three hundred houses and we want to give them back as soon as possible.

Given below the excerpts of the interview Asian Tribune had with Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya, spokesman of Sri Lanka Army:

Asian Tribune: Kindly clarify whether Sri Lanka Army is involved in acquiring lands in the North and East?

Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya: No. Army is not involved in acquiring lands. Acquiring lands is done under the Land Acquisition Act. The Army has no authority to acquire lands as and where and when they want.

The land Acquisition Act 1950, talks about the acquisitions of land for public purposes. It can be done by the respective Ministry, i.e. the Land Ministry.

What the Army does is if there is a particular land that is required for some purposes – for example if the Palaly Airport is to be extended, that is not for the purpose of the Army, but for the national requirement . One must understand that expanding the Palaly Airport is for the national requirement and that is for public purpose and the land Ministry can acquire lands after giving due notice according to the Land Acquisition Act of 1950.

Acquiring lands is nothing new. I can give you a good example. Now we constructed the Southern Highway up to Galle and it is now being extended up to Matara and how did we do that. The road goes across the lands belonging to people and the government acquired those lands, paying due compensations to construct this new road.

The other example is – now the Colombo – Katunayake expressway is being constructed and that will be ready by next year. And this expressway is also constructed on land and it is not in the air or something and naturally you have to acquire lands and similarly in case of expanding Palaly airport as a regional airport , as they construct in Nuwera Eliya, Kandy and I think also Iranamadu too is developed and Palaly will also be an another airport.

Also the Kankesanthurai harbor is being developed. So for this development purposes and if there is a requirement for public purpose then we have to acquire lands.

At this moment let me tell you that we have reduced the number of troops in Jaffna drastically.

Asian Tribune : By how many percent?

Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya: in 2007 during the height of the war we had little less than 50,000 Army, Navy, Air Force and Police personnel in Jaffna. And today we have only 15,000 Army personnel and the Navy and Air Force – they have also reduced and altogether we have now about 18,000 personnel in Jaffna. I wish to ask you to tell me have we not reduced the troops?

Asian Tribune: In the light of the figures offered by you, indeed you have. Yesterday I interviewed the Tamil National Alliance Member of Parliament Mr. Suresh Premachandran – you can find his interview in the Asian Tribune. He said yes we had army camps even in 1983 and there was one Army camp in Palaly, as well as in Vavuniya and he asked why can’t the Army go back to the 1983 position.

Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya: I am not suppose to response to politician’s comments, but as you are a journalist and has brought up this issue, I wish to ask why should we go back to that position. Because not only in Sri Lanka but also in other countries, take for example India, you have military cantonments and these military cantonments are established in places of strategic importance. Strategies also changes time to time depending on the threats you are facing.

Therefore in 1983, they would have camps considering the situation of that time. Why should we go back? We have to have camps where in the country we have identified that security is important. This is a national security interest. I am not talking about individual interest, understand but about the national security interest.

Kindly understand that not only in Jaffna or Batticaloa the Army is deployed. The Army is deployed in all parts of the country, because security in all parts of the country is equally important and we have identified security wise important locations and accordingly deployed our troops.

That is what all the other countries also doing. To tell you very frankly that some countries are deploying their troops in strategic place which are not belonging to them? But we are not doing that and we are deploying our troops within our country.

It must be told that we having troops for the purpose of security and we have reduced our troops and we will reduce further also.

Asian Tribune: We learnt that while people are worried about the number of Army personnel, but they are also dejected over the Buddhist temples and Buddhist symbols that are being constructed in public places where there are not even any Buddhist worshippers.

That is against the people’s interest of that area. If in case if the Army person wants to construct a Buddhist temples for the Army personnel to worship, then you can have it in the land inside the camp and why do you want to plant a temple in a private land and that even forcefully, where there are no Buddhist adherents.

Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya: Where have they constructed?

Asian Tribune: On the way in the A-9 Road after passing Madawachchiya up to Jaffna, you can see so many temples suddenly sprouting out. I have travelled many times from Colombo to Jaffna and I have seen those temples and there was a report that even in Chavakachcheri, the Police is trying to build a Buddhist temple in a private land.

Even in the interview I had with Suresh Premachandran he was telling that the Army is building Buddhist temples where there is no Buddhists.

Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya: Regarding this issue, I can’t response without specific details and I will bring this to the notice of the Army Commander.

Asian Tribune: According to the people, they want to have a harmonious co-existence. That’s all they wanted. Also we learnt that you have asked the government for more lands.

Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya: That is true. We have asked for government lands so that we can vacate some of our camps and relocate them in the government lands.

Asian Tribune: Also I wish to ask as to when you are going to vacate those private lands you hold in your high security zone, in the Jaffna peninsula?

Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya: We have already reduced the high security zone and handed over lands in 17 Grama Servaka divisions in Jaffna, back to people.

Asian Tribune: Yes we know, that is in Mathagal and in a section of Tellipalai. Still you have high security zone in a very vast area encompassing lands from another 25 Grama Servaka divisions.

Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya: You must understand that we can’t do everything overnight. But it is a step by step process and there is a process of releasing those lands and let us sees how it progresses.

Asian Tribune: Also allegations are emerging that Army is holding private lands and houses for well over twenty to twenty-five years and up to now no compensation are being paid to the private land owners and house owners.

Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya: No.. no … no … we have been paying rents. Let me tell you that if there is an owner then we pay rent to that owner. For example, we were in Subash Hotel in Jaffna and we were paying about Rs.70,000 per month in 2002 to 2004 period.

Asian Tribune: I am referring to the lands and houses in the high security zone

Brigadier Ruwan Wanigasooriya: Even for the lands and houses in the high security zone, if the owners come forward with appropriate documents to identify that particular property as theirs, then they can claim rent for that property. We will pay rent for that particular property.

If anybody has such problems then they should approach the security forces headquarters in Jaffna and inform them and Army will make arrangements to pay rent for that property. We have been paying rents right throughout in other places also

We have also more than two to three hundred houses and we want to give them back as soon as possible.

- Asian Tribune –

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