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Amid increasing criticism of Sri Lankan military involvement in civilian life in the North-East, the Sri Lankan army undertook a project to distribute drinking water in Jaffna last month.
On the 26th of September, a military tanker drove around Navatkuli and Kovilkandi in the Jaffna peninsula, to distribute water in the region. Uniformed troops also filled up water storage tanks from army bowsers.
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The latest move by the military comes following the release of a report by Adayaalam Centre for Policy Research and People for Equality and Relief in Lanka (PEARL) which highlighted the normalization of the disproportionate military presence in the North-East.
There have been repeated calls from Tamil politicians and civil society organisations for the military to cease its involvement in civil activities and to demilitarise the North-East. The ACPR/PEARL report concluded that the Sri Lankan military presence "has become so engrained in the Tamil conscience that it has normalised this abnormal occupation".
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