Sri Lanka Denies Heavy Ongoing Military Occupation in North

May-28-2012

"The statistics on army deployment in the North bear out the British High Commissioner’s concern was the same as Tamil minority concern"

Sri Lanka's occupational army in Jaffna

(JAFFNA, Sri Lanka) - After the British High Commissioner points out the untruth(=lie) spoken by the President in his ''hero day'' speech on 19 May, the Jaffna Army Commander comes up with more untruth(=lie):

Jaffna Security Forces Commander Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe yesterday told The Island that since the conclusion of the conflict there had been a steady reduction of military presence in the Jaffna peninsula. He revealed that at the time he took over the peninsula on Dec. 7, 2009, there had been 27,000 troops, though today there were only 15, 600.

"There are three Divisions deployed across the peninsula and Jaffna islands. The 51 Div is deployed in Jaffna sector, 52 Div in Vadamaratchchy and 55 Div at Elephant Pass. Don’t forget at the time eelam war IV erupted the Jaffna peninsula had the largest single concentration of armed forces and police numbering close to 50,000" - North: British HC disputes President’s claims, 25 May 2012, http://www.island.lk/index.php?page_cat=article-details&page=article-details&code_title=52805

''The statistics on army deployment in the North bear out the British High Commissioner’s concern was the same as Tamil minority concern. Out of 13 Divisions plus a number of independent brigades of army, barring four-division strength (about 40,000) and about 10,000 troops in training establishments and on other duties, balance of nine divisions and independent brigades with a strength of 150,000 troops are deployed in Northern Province. According to latest census figures (released by Census Department in June 2012) Northern Province has a population of 997,754 (Tamils 934,392) out of Sri Lanka’s total of 20.2 million population. If we take these population figures, the troop deployment works out to about one soldier deployed for every six persons (including men, women and children) in Northern Province! Imagine what would have been the popular reaction if one soldier is deployed for every six members in a Southern Province! [Of course, these figures will be disputed by the security establishment. Jaffna Security Forces Commander Major General Mahinda Hathurusinghe had told The Island that at present there were 15,600 troops in Jaffna Peninsula - three Divisions were deployed across the peninsula and Jaffna islands. Do three divisions make only 15,600 troops in Sri Lanka army? I have my reservations. ] - Sri Lanka: Why military matters in the North? Col R. Hariharan, 27 May 2012,http://www.southasiaanalysis.org/%5Cnotes7%5Cnote654.html