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The Sri Lankan army gave 15 houses in Vavuniya to Tamil people displaced from the Vanni in a ceremony on Wednesday, led by the commander of the army, Lieutenant General Daya Ratnayake.
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According to the army's website, the housing scheme, is called "Nandimithra' after a "legendary giant", who according to Sinhala Buddhist mythology lived during the reign of the famous Sinhala Buddhist king, Dutugemunu. Dutugemunu is celebrated amongst the Sinhala people for having defeated the Tamil Chola king, Ellalan.
The ceremony on Wednesday, included the unveiling a statue of the Sinhala giant.
Prior to the end of the armed conflict, the Vanni region was held by the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam as the defacto state of Tamil Eelam.
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The Sri Lankan military's ongoing civilian activities come as the Sri Lankan foreign minister, Mangala Samaraweera, told delegates at a conference in Washington last week that the military had ceased all such activities.
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Sri Lankan army distribute uniforms to Jaffna school children (14 February 2015)
Sri Lankan army recruits Tamil youth as military tradesmen (31 Jan 2015)
Sri Lankan military must be removed from North, Wigneswaran tells UK minister (29 Jan 2015)
Sri Lankan military taking livelihoods of Tamils says North's chief minister (27 Jan 2015)
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