.jpg)
The Sri Lankan military further consolidated its presence in the North-East with the construction of yet another army building in Mullaitivu this month.
An official military website announced the opening of “a recreational centre” for troops, fully equipped with “newspapers and reading materials, TVs, indoor games and other recreational tools”.
.jpg)
The opening of the new building in Mullaitivu marks another step in which the military is consolidating its presence in the region, almost a decade on from the end of the armed conflict in the region. A report by the Jaffna-based Adayaalam Centre for Police Research found that the Mullaitivu district in particular had tens of thousands of soldiers stationed there, with numbers indicating as many as 1 soldier for every two civilians in the district.
.jpg)
The continued presence of the military comes despite calls from local residents and politicians for the demiltiarisation of the North-East.
